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32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

L I  F  E 


OF 


MADAME  DE  LA  PELTRIE 


(Magdalen  de  Ghauvigny), 


FOUNDHESS  OP   THE  URSULINE  CONVExM,  QUEBEC. 


WRITTEN     EXPRESSLY    FOR     THE     PUPILS   AND   INSCRIBED 

TO    T^TFji;^  ^    ___  ^ 


BY  A  mem: 


MMUNITY. 


EDWARD  DUNIGA]^  &  BROTHER, 

(JAMES  B.  KIRKER,) 

871  BEOADWAY. 

1859. 


^ 


Entered  accordin?  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1850,  by 

JAMES  3^  KIKKEE, 

in  the  (nevk-s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New  ^  ork. 


P 

IS 


y 


es,  fov 


4 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 
Birth  and  Education  of  Madame  do  la  Peltrie ^"^^9 

CHAPTER  IT. 

Miss  de  Chauvigny  is  forced  by  her  parents  to  leave 
the  Abbey  and  embrace  the  married  state— Yirtues 
which  she  practises  during  this  period  of  her  life- 
Death  of  Mr.  de  la  Peltrie,  her  Husband lo 

CPIAPTER  HI. 
Death  of  Mme.  do  la  Poltrie's  mother— Virtues  whicii 
she  practises  during  her  widowhood 26 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Mr.  de  Chauvigny's  friends  unite  Avitli  .him  to  gain 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie— She  has  recourse  to  a  strata- 
gem—Death of  Mr.  de  Chauvigny 37 


T 


II 


IV 


COXTKNTS. 


CirAPTER  V. 


Other  Trialy  of  Mmc.  do  la  Poltrio — She  Q'aiiis   her 


I'AGK 


fn' 


Law-Suit — Preparations  for  the  voyage  to  Canada.     45 

CHAPTER   \J. 

Departure  I'rom  Paris — Account  of  the  Journey — Last 
Adieu — Stormy  Passage — Safe  Arrival 58 

CHAPTER  VII. 

.Landing  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  and  the  Nuns — Re- 
ception given  to  them  by  the  Chevalier  de  Mont- 
magny,  Governor-in-Chief,  and  all  orders  of  society 
in  Quebec 68 


if 


t? 


CHAPTER  YIIL. 

Zeal  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  for  the  salvation  of  souls — 
Arrival  of  two  Sisters  from  the  Ursulines  of  Paris — 
She  lays  the  foundation  of  the  first  Convent — Her 
journey  to  Montreal 81 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  returns  to  Quebec — Joyful  recep- 
tion at  home — Virtues  of  Obedience  and  Poverty 
which  she  practises  in  the  Ursuline  Convent 99 


81 


CONTEXTS. 


PAGE 


CHAPTER  X. 

Burning  of  the  first  Convent  in  1G50,  and  other  Sovoro 
Trials— Humility,  Charity,  and  Self-Denial  of  Mmo. 
do  la  Peltrie— Death  of  the  Rev.  Mother  St.  Joseph.  Ill 


58 


CHAPTER  XL 
Austerity  and   Mortification  of  Mme.  do  la  Peltrie, 
displayed   in   every  circumstance  of   her  Life— 
Her  rapid  progress  in  perfection— Earthquake  and 
other  trials 


133 


68 


CHAPTER  XIL 

Last  Illness  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie— Consternation  and 
sorrow  which  it  produces  in  Quebec— Her  death 
and  solemn  funeral 25^ 


99 


1 


ADDRESS  TO  OUR  YOUNG  READERS. 


-0- 


As  more  than  two  centuries  liavc  elapsed  since  the  inter- 
esting events  occurred  which  wo  now  lay  before  our 
Youthful  Readers,  it  seems  proper  tliat  we  should  at  once 
introduce  to  them  the  various  persons  whoso  names  are 
identified  with  these  historic  facts  and  scenes  of  by-gone 
days. 

It  was  on  the  4th  of  May,  1639,  that  a  young  and  noble 
lady  was  seen  ready  to  embark  on  board  the  Admiral's  ves- 
sel, St.  Joseph,  about  to  sail  from  the  port  of  Dieppe.  On 
one  side  of  her  are  two  groups  of  ladies  deeply  veiled ; 
on  the  other,  stands  a  dignified  nobleman  whose  thought- 
ful air  and  beaming  features  reveal  the  interest  he  takes  in 
her  welfare ;  before  her  stand  several  clergymen  whose 
modest  uniform  warns  us  that  they  are  the  sons  of  St. 
Ignatius ;  at  a  little  distance  is  seen  one  maid,  all  that 
remains  of  her  household. 

As  they  stand  there  together  exchanging  their  last  looks 
and  words  with  their  friends,  you  would  scarce  imagine 
that  they  are  leaving  their  own  dear  France  for  ever,  but 
it  is  even  so.  That  lady  is  a  young  widow,  the  heiress  of 
a  noble  name,  who  is  going,  with  her  whole  fortune,  to 
assist  in  diffusing  the  Catholic  Faith  among  the  savages  of 
America !  .  .  .  Young  girls  of  Canada,  do  you  not 
recognise  the  heroine   and  her  companion  ?    Ah !    our 


1 


VI 11 


ADDRESS    TO    Ol'll    YOUNCJ     RKADEllS. 


Indiun  mounlainccr.s  know  tlicni  l)y  trndilion,  uiid  at  this 
day  neknowlcdgo  that,  "Tho  llivat  S[)h'it  never  smiled 
moi'o  graciously  on  tiioir  dark  race,  than  when  ho  sent  to 
these  shores  tho  tall  white  virgins  from  beyond  tho 
seasl"  ....  Lut  whither  are  they  going  ?  To  tho 
far  western  shores  of  the  great  St.  Lawrence?  Yes,  to 
tho  shores  of  our  own  St.  Lawrence  ;  not  indeed  smiling, 
as  we  now  behold  them  from  tho  gay  steamer  aa  wo 
sail  along,  admiring  the  surpassing  beauty  of  mountain, 
wood,  and  water-fall,  enlivened  Ijy  golden  harvests,  and 
crowned  with  cottage,  hamlet,  and  village  spire  1  At  that 
remote  period  these  shores  were  yet  covered  with  their 
tall  original  forest  trees,  whoso  dark  dee[)  foliage  oft  con- 
cealed the  lurking  savage  foe,  maturing  his  deathly  designs 
of  invasion  and  massacre,  while  hero  and  there,  tho  smoko 
of  a  solitary  wigwam   announced   the   presence  of  tho 

prhnitive  proprietors  of  tho  soil 

The  adieus  .are  over,  tho  vessel  sets  sail — her  path  lies 
across  the  trackless  waters  of  the  western  deep,  and,  as 
the  suiniy  plains  of  Franco  recede  from  their  view,  all 
eyes  turn  in  anxious  expectation  towards  tho  little  fort  of 
Quebec !  .  .  .  .  Let  us  follow  them  across  the  stormy 
sea,  let  us  keep  in  sight  this  illustrious  widow  and  her 
pious  companions ;  ever  tho  same  in  tempest  and  in  calm, 
their  prayers  ascend  to  Heaven  calling  down  blessings  on 
all  around  them,  and  ere  we  witness  their  reception  in 
Quebec,  let  us  improve  our  leisure  moments,  while  with 
the  help  of  our  ancient  manuscripts  and  home-tradition, 
we  pass  in  review  the  most  remarkable  events  which 
illustrate  tlie  life  of  this  distinguished  and  virtuous  lady. 


.1  thin 
,niilcd 
cut  to 
a  tho 
I'o  the 
f  cs,  to 
miVmg, 
as  wo 
untaiu, 
its,  and 
At  that 
th  their 
oft  con- 
■  dcsignB 
lO  smoke 
of  the 

ath  lies 
and,  as 
view,  all 
lo  fort  of 
le  stormy 
and  her 
in  calm, 
ssings  on 
eption  in 
^hile  with 
tradition, 
nts  which 
ous  lady. 


^L^SC^ 


CHAPTER  I. 

)JIRTII   AND    EDUCATIOJ^   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

Mrss  Ma(U)alen  de  Ciiauviony  was  Lorn 
jit  AIon9on,  in  France,  in  the  year  1G03  ;  her 
father,  Mr.  de  Chauvigny,  Lord  of  Vaubegon, 
was  greatly  distinguished  among  the  nobility 
of  tlie  Province,  and  her  mother  was  of  equally 
illustrious  origin :  both  parents  being  pene- 
trated with  the  love  and  fear  of  God,  united 
their  efforts  to  insjiirc  their  beloved  daughter, 
with  feehngs  similar  to  their  own.  The  young 
Magdalen  did  not  disappoint  their  hopes;  as 
she  grew  up,  her  exterior  graces  expanded 
each  day  to  the  admiration  of  her  friends,  but 
the  fond  parents  rejoiced  still  more  when  they 


U' 


VWMVWMHM 


10 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA   PET.TIIIE. 


h  < 


I:  h 


perceived  that  her  pure  soul  was  under  the 
immediate  influence  of  Heaven,  and  that  her 
gentle  inclinations  led  her,  as  if  by  attraction, 
to  the  practice  of  every  virtue.  Her  purity  of 
heart  was  remarkable ;  in  her  childhood,  she 
not  only  avoided  those  actions  which  in  them- 
selves are  evil,  but  likewise,  all  that  could 
prove  inducive  to  sin,  such  as  self-indulgence, 
idle  diversions,  loss  of  time,  etc.  The  Holy 
Ghost  gave  her  such  a  particular  zeal  for  the 
service  of  the  church  that,  on  Sundays  and 
festivals,  all  her  leisure  was  spent  there.  On 
other  days,  her  spare  hours  were  devoted  to 
the  poor  who  lived  on  her  father's  estate ;  she 
treated  them,  not  as  beings  inferior  to  herself, 
but  as  familiar  friends,  whom  circumstances 
of  birth  and  fortune  had  less  favored.  She 
visited  the  sick,  consoled  the  afflicted,  and  es- 
teemed no  kind  of  suffering  beneath  her  notice. 


i 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


11 


the 
her 
5tioii, 
Ity  of 
1,  she 
thein- 
could 
Q-ence, 
5  Holy 
for  the 
ys  and 
■e.    On 
oted  to 
ite;  she 
herself, 
nstances 
3d.    She 
,  and  es- 
ir  notice. 


Such  were  the  pursuits  and  pastimes  of  Miss 
de  Ohauvigny  during  the  smiling  years  of  her 
adolescence,  when  the  world  first  laid  before 
her  youthful  eyes  the  fascinating  view  of  its 
deceitful  pleasures ;  but  she  was  not  deluded 
by  the  enchanting  scene;  its  fleeting  joys  did 
not  make  her  forget  the  eternal  interests  of  her 
soul.  Hence  she  had  a  sovereign  dislike  for 
the  extravagance  of  fashion  and  dress,  and 
would  have  refused  all  attention  to  them,  had 
not  her  parents  obliged  her  to  conform  herself 
to  the  usages  established  for  ladies  of  her 
rank ;  yet  even  then  she  was  so  forgetful  of 
her  personal  appearance,  so  preoccupied  with 
the  wants  of  her  favorite  poor,  that  she  was 
often  seen  trying  to  conceal  a  basket  of  provi- 
sions within  the  ample  folds  of  her  embroidered 
skirts,  while  stealing  out  of  her  father's  house 
to  relieve  the  wants  of  her  beloved  proteges. 


12 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


;-  T 


Miss  cle  Chauvigny  received  her  education 
under  the  watchful  eye  of  her  mother,  and 
she  made  rapid  progress  in  the  studies  and  ac- 
complishments which  the  custom  of  the  times 
assigned  to  ladies.  By  fragments  of  her  cor- 
respondence we  see  that  she  was  a  well- 
informed  person.  Endowed  with  wisdbm 
beyond  her  years,  she  sought  to  please  God  in 
all  things,  and  carefully  avoided  all  that  could 
draw  upon  her  the  admiration  of  the  world. 
Virtues  so  solid,  in  a  lady  of  Miss  de  Chau- 
vigny's  rank,  rendered  it  obvious  to  her  friends 
that  the  Almighty  had  some  particular  design 
over  her ;  while  she  herself  felt  such  a  power- 
ful attraction  towards  the  religious  life  that  she 
did  not  even  try  to  conceal  it.  Her  devoted 
parents,  who  had  fostered  in  her  every  other 
pious  inclination,  were,  however,  averse  to  this, 
as  they  plainly  foresaw  that  if  they  did  not 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


13 


aliou 
,  and 
id  ac- 
times 
31'  cor- 

visd6m 

God  in 

t  could 

I  \vorld. 

Q  Ohau- 

r  friends 

.r  design 
a  power- 

3  that  slic 
devoted 
ery  other 
se  to  this, 
f  did  not 


oppose  her,  she  would  soon  desert  them  to 
embrace  the  sechision  of  a  cloistered  life. 
They  therefore  determined  to  distract  her 
mind  from  these  pious  desires,  and  seized  the 
earliest  opportunity  of  making  known  to  her 
their  real  intentions.  One  evening,  after  a 
brilliant  soiree,  given  in  honor  of  her  seven- 
teenth birthday,  they  exhausted  the  most 
insinuating  tenderness,  trying  to  persuade  her 
that  more  good  might  be  done  by  a  virtuous 
lady  in  the  gayest  circles  of  society,  than  by  a 
nun  excluded  from  public  view  in  the  deep 
shade  of  a  cloister.  This  argument  was  the 
most  plausible  they  could  urge  upon  their  vir- 
tuous daughter;  and  as  soon  as  she  took  leave 
of  her  parents  that  evening,  she  made  it  the 
subject  of  a  long  and  serious  meditation. 
Prostrate  in  the  presence  of  her  crucifix,  she 

wept  aloud,  and  thus  addressed  herself  to 

2* 


14 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


>;(    .>'* 


Heaven  in  the  anguish  of  her  heart:  "Oh, 
my  God  !  can  it  be  possible  that  I  am  doomed 
to  work  out  my  salvation  in  the  midst  of  so 
many  dangers !  My  fither  now  wishes  me  to 
attend  the  opera,  the  chase,  and  the  masque- 
rade, and,  during  the  hours  I  shall  spend  there, 
I  must  forget  thee,  O  my  good  God,  who  didst 
think  of  me  from  all  eternity !  No,  I  cannot 
forsake  thy  presence  to  enjoy  that  of  man,  I 
cannot  attend  these  masquerades  during  the 
carnival,  I  cannot  appear  at  the  chase  and  the 
opera  during  Lent,  and  above  all,  I  cannot 
endure  these  visits  which  papa  wishes  me  to 
receive !"  .  .  .  Then,  after  some  moments 
of  deep  reflection,  she  exclaimed,  "  Yes,  I  will 
go  to  the  Abbey,  and  beg  of  them  to  admit 
me  for  a  few  days,  to  perform  the  spiritual 
exercises  at  the  beginning  of  Lent ;  once  I  am 
within  the  gates,  I  will  try  to  stay  there !" 


LIFE   OF  MADAME   DE    LA   PEI.TIiIE. 


15 


Greatly  consoled  by  this  sudden  decision  of 
mind,  Miss  de  Chauvigny  retired  to  rest  with 
a  light  heart. 

The  next  morning  at  sunrise,  Miss  de  Chau- 
vigny was  on  her  way  to  the  Abbey,  where, 
after  obtaining  immediate  admittance,  she 
wrote  home,  requesting  her  parents'  leave  to 
stay  there  a  few  days. 


CHAPTER   11. 


u 


:i 


:'i 


MISS  DE  CIIAUVIGNY  IS  FORCED  BY  HER  PARENTS  TO  LEAVE 
THE  ABBEY  AND  EMBRACE  THE  MARRIED  STATE — VIRTUES 
WHICH  SHE  PRACTISES  DURING  THIS  PERIOD  OF  HER  LIFE 
— DEATH  OF  MR.  DE  LA  PELTRIE,  HER  HUSBAND. 

We  have  seen  Miss  de  Chauvigny  practise 
every  virtue  from  her  early  childhood  under 
the  smiling  approbation  of  her  parents,  who 
loved  her  so  tenderly  that  they  could  not  bear 
to  lose  sight  of  her  even  for  one  day.  We 
have  seen  her,  in  a  transport  of  fervor,  desert 
their  noble  mansion  to  seclude  herself  from  the 
admiration  and  the  love  of  men,  and  we  shall 
now  again  behold  her  patient  and  submissive, 
when  forced  by  her  weeping  mother  and 
disconsolate  father  to  leave  the  convent  of 


LIFE   OF   BfADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIi:. 


17 


her  choice,  and  embrace  a  state  of  lite  alto- 
gether opposed  to  her  inclinations. 

As  soon  as  the  cari'iage  returned  home,  and 
the  servants  announced  that  Magdalen  was 
going  to  stay  in  the  Abbey  for  a  few  days, 
nothing  could  equal  the  excitement  caused  by 
this  unpleasant  news.  The  father's  surprise 
and  displeasure,  the  mother's  anguish  and 
sorrow,  the  sister's  regret  and  disappointment, 
the  tears  of  the  whole  household,  marked  that 
day  as  one  of  deep  mourning.  But  her  father 
was,  of  all,  the  least  resigned  to  lose  her.  She 
was  his  favorite,  and  he  had  already  deter- 
mined that,  as  long  as  he  lived,  his  dear 
Magdalen  should  not  dwell  two  days  in  a 
convent.  He  immediately  ordered  the  car- 
riage, sent  invitations  to  his  friends  to  meet 
him  at  home  that  evening,  drove  off  without 
delay,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  was  standing 


18 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   TELTRIE. 


!  f 


I  •;, 


before  the  Abbey  gate.  The  Abbess,  who 
was  a  distant  relative  of  his,  did  not  appear 
in  the  least  surprised  by  this  sudden  appari- 
tion ;  she  told  him  that  his  dear  Magdalen  had 
entered  only  to  perform  the  spiritual  exercises, 
in  consequence  of  some  private  vow.  This 
observation  greatly  irritated  him,  and  he 
exclaimed,  "My  daughter  will  neither  make 
nor  accomplish  any  vow  here  as  long  as  I 
live !"  then,  raising  his  voice,  he  cried  aloud, 
"Give  me  my  child!"  At  that  moment  Miss 
de  Chauvigny  entered  the  parlor  and  threw 
herself  at  her  father's  feet,  begging  of  him  to 
forgive  the  step  she  had  taken.  The  fond 
parents  were  deeply  affected,  and  while  the 
tender  mother  wept  in  silence,  the  father 
spoke  to  his  beloved  child  in  the  most  touch- 
ing manner:  "What  have  we  done  to  you, 
my  daughter,  that  you  should  thus  forsake 


i 


k 

1 

who 

ppear            ^ 

1 
ppan- 

n  had            1 

rcises,           J 

This          J 

id    he          i 

make          i 

y  as  I           i 

aloud,           1 

t  Miss          1 

threw           1 

1 

lini  to          i 

3   fond         1 

lie  the 

father 

touch- 

0  you, 

forsake 

LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


19 


us  ?  Can  you  not  stay  with  your  parents,  at 
least  until  you  have  closed  their  eyes  ?  After 
our  death  you  may  come  to  the  Abbey  if 
you  choose !" 

Then  seizins:  her  with  a  stroncf  arm  he  hur- 
ried  out  of  the  room,  followed  by  the  mother ; 
the  servants  were  watching  his  movements, 
the  doors  flew  open  before  him,  in  an  instant 
they  were  all  seated  in  the  carriage,  and  the 
abbey  was  out  of  sight  before  Miss  de  Chau- 
vigny  had  time  to  say  a  word  in  her  own 
defence.  On  arriving  at  home,  Mr.  de  Chau- 
vigny  found  a  large  circle  of  friends  assembled, 
to  congratulate  him  upon  this  achievement  of 
his  paternal  affection,  and  the  evening  was 
spent  in  mirth  and  festivity ;  only  one  person 
present  retired  to  rest  that  night  with  a  heavy 
heart,  this  was  Miss  de  Chauvigny,  who  had 
been  told  by  her  father  that  she  should  attend 


47J^ 


20 


LIFE   OF   MzVDAME   BE  LA   PELTRIE. 


a  hunting  party  the  next  morning,  and  she 
thereby  understood,  better  than  ever,  her 
father's  designs  over  lier. 

On  returning  from  the  chase  the  next  day, 
he  said  to  her,  "  Magdalen,  did  you  notice  the 
young  gentleman  who  rode  so  gracefully  in 
advance  of  our  party  ?  "  And,  without  w^ait- 
ing  for  a  reply,  he  added,  "  That  brave  knight 
is  my  favorite,  and  I  trust  that  he  w^ill  soon  be 
vours  also  !"  This  choice  had  lon^r  since  been 
made  by  the  devoted  parents,  and  thus  Miss 
de  Chauvigny  became  aware  that  their  fre- 
quent visitor,  the  Chevalier  Charles  de  Grivel 
de  la  Peltrie,  Avas  the  person  on  whom  it  had 
been  fixed.  In  vain  she  remonstrated  with 
her  parents,  and  shed  torrents  of  tears,  in 
vain  she  alleged  her  youth  and  inexperience, 
being  then  only  seventeen  ;  they  were  inexor- 
able, and  a  little  delay  was  all  the  favor  she 


LIFE   OF    MADAME    DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


21 


could  obtain.  In  this  state  of  anf^uisli  she 
had  recourse  to  prayer,  offering  to  our  divine 
Lord  all  the  good  desires  she  had  ever  formed 
of  loving  him  alone ;  this  purity  of  intention 
was  very  pleasing  to  God,  and  He  gave  her 
an  interior  assurance  that  she  would  one  day 
be  His  wholly  and  entirely. 

Thus  comforted,  she  yielded  to  her  father's 
wish,  her  marriage  with  the  distinguished 
nobleman  already  mentioned  was  accordingly 
celebrated,  and  great  was  the  joy  in  her 
father's  house  during  the  nuptial  festivities. 
Placed  at  the  head  of  a  family,  we  shall  now 
see  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  leading  a  life  of  uni- 
form devotedness  to  the  duties  of  her  state. 
Without  forsaking  any  of  her  accustomed 
exercises  of  piety,  this  truly  Christian  woman 
gave   her   husband   every  mark  of  the  most 

tender   and   respectful   affection.      One   child 

3 


22 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE. 


'  i» 


blessed  their  union,  and  as  it   pleased  God 
to    withdraw   it   from  her   shortly   after   its 
birth,  she  conformed  entirely  to  her  husband's 
will  in  regard  to  pastimes  and    diversions. 
With  him  she  was  seen  in  the  gayest  circles, 
yielding  at  all  times  to  his  wishes,  and  he  w^as 
often  heard  to   say  that  he  had  nothing  to 
desire  on  earth  but  a  long  life,  to  enjoy  the 
happiness  of  which  she  was  the  ministering 
angel.    But  such  was  not,  however,  the  will 
of  Heaven.    About  five  years  after  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  de  la  Peltrie  was  attacked  with  a 
mortal  disease,  and,  though  his  devoted  wife 
neglected  no  effort  to  relieve  and  restore  him, 
he  was,  after  a  very  short  illness,  withdrawn 
from  her  care   and    tenderness.      Thus  our 
young  heroine  was  left  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-two,  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  generous 
and  good  man,  who  had  never  given  her  the 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA    FELTKIE. 


23 


slightest  cause  of  grief;  and,  as  she  shed  her 
last  tear  over  his  lifeless  remains,  she  vowed 
herself  anew  to  h<^r  Divine  Lord  and  Master, 
promisin'^  to  devote  to  Ilim  alone  each  day  of 
her  future  liCu.  An  extract  from  the  letters  of 
our  Ven.  Mother  de  I'Incarnation,  will  fully 
explain  to  our  young  readers,  the  manner  in 
which  she  accomplished  this  vow  : 

"  I  will,  therefore,  tell  you  how  this  lady, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  embraced  the 
practice  of  virtue  in  a  very  special  manner. 
She  left  her  own  house,  contrary  to  the  will 
of  her  parents,  who  had  so  much  tenderness 
and  affection  for  her  that  they  could  not  bear 
to  have  her  out  of  their  sight.  She  went  to 
live  in  Alengon,  where  she  could  not,  however, 
venture  to  stay  in  her  father's  house,  for  fear 
of  being  solicited  to  marry  again.  Being  thus 
privately  situated,  her  life  became   one  con- 


24 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


is? 


in 


tinual  exercise  of  chanty ;  she  lodged  the 
poor  and  served  them  with  her  own  hands, 
and  even  gave  shelter  un.der  her  own  roof  to 
the  nnfortunate  victims  of  vice,  whom  she 
found  willing  to  reform.  Though  her  aversion 
to  a  second  marriage  was  known  to  be  very- 
great,  her  father,  nevertheless,  began  to  urge 
her  to  it,  and  as  she  positively  refused  each 
time  he  made  the  request,  he  at  length  became 
greatly  irritated,  and  forbad  her  ever  to  enter 
his  house.  This  harsh  treatment  obliged  her 
to  withdraw  for  some  time  into  a  Convent, 
where  she  was  not,  however,  delivered  from 
the  importunity  of  her  friends. 

"About  that  time  Father  Paul  le  Jeune 
published  an  account  of  his  missions  in  Canada, 
in  which  he  strongly  exhorted  his  readers  to 
assist  in  the  conversion  of  the  Indians,  and 
where,  among  other  reasons,  he  made  use  of 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA  PELTRIE. 


25 


the 
ids, 
f  to 

she 

sion 

very 

urge 

each 

came 

3nter 

I  her 

vent, 

from 


the  following    touching  expressions.      *  Ah ! 

* 

will  not  some  good  and  pious  lady  be  found 
who  will  come  to  this  country  to  gather  up 
the  precious  drops  of  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  by  instructing  the  little  Indian  girls  P^ 
These  words  so  penetrated  her  heart,  that 
ever  after  her  mind  was  more  frequently  in 
Canada  than  within  herself,  and  full  of  these 
sentiments  she  was  forced  to  quit  the  convent 
in  consequence  of  the  death  of  her  mother, 
and  return  to  her  father's  house." 


I  u 


CHAPTER    III. 


f 


p ' 


DEATH      OP     MME.     DE     LA    PELTRIE'S    MOTHER — VIRTUES 
WHICH   SHE  PRACTISES   DURING   HER   WIDOWHOOD. 

We  have  admired  our  young  widow  resisting 
all  the  allurements  of  pleasure,  after  her  hus- 
band's death,  and  transforming  her  house  into 
a  kind  of  refuge  for  all  sorts  of  suiFering  and 
unfortunate  creatures,  and  waiting  upon  them 
in  comj)any  with  her  own  servants.  It  was, 
indeed,  her  sweetest  enjoyment  to  relieve  the 
wants  of  all  and  to  diffuse  happiness  around 
her,  and  such  were  the  blessings  with  which 
the  Almighty  rewarded  her  charity  that  she 
was  often  astonished  at  the  great  improve- 
ment of  morals  which  she  witnessed  among 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


27 


the  unfortunate  beings  whom  she  assisted. 
Her  piety  was  not,  however,  yet  satisfied,  and 
the  ardent  zeal  which  burned  in  her  breast, 
led  her  to  desire  some  means  of  devoting  her- 
self more  particularly  to  the  service  of  God. 
We  have  already  seen  how  she  became  inter- 
ested in  the  Missions  of  Canada.  Having  no 
children  to  provide  for,  it  seemed  natural  that 
she  should  seek  some  manner  of  rendering?  ser- 
vice  to  her  neighbor.  At  times,  her  prefer- 
ence for  a  life  of  total  seclusion  from  the 
world  revived,  and  at  others,  she  felt  strong 
desires  of  devoting  herself  to  the  conversion 
of  the  poor  Indians  of  America.  Thus  she 
struggled  for  several  months  between  the 
tranquil  Abbey  of  her  youthful  choice,  and  the 
far-distant  perilous  missions  of  Canada.  At 
length,  however,  the  missions  prevailed  over 
the  love  of  her  favorite  retreat,  and  she  re- 


28 


LIFE   OF  MADAME  DE  LA  PELTRIE. 


I 


solved  to  devote  herself  to  them  as  soon  as  she 
could  obtain  the  approbation  of  her  spiritual 
directors.  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  therefore,  con- 
sulted persons  of  learning  and  sanctity.  She 
laid  open  before  them  with  admirable  sincerity 
all  the  feelings  of  her  heart,  and  placed  in  their 
hands  a  paper  containing  an  account  of  the  in- 
terior attraction  which  the  Almighty  had  long 
since  given  her  for  the  conversion  of  souls. 
She  therein  acknowledged  that  it  had  been 
the  subject  of  her  communications  with  God 
for  the  last  seven  years,  during  which  time  his 
love  had  taken  a  stronger  possession  of  her 
heart.  This  favor,  she  declared  to  have  re- 
ceived during  a  spiritual  retreat,  adding  that 
the  conversion  of  the  whole  world  did  not 
seem  sufficient  for  her  zeal,  and  that,  in  her 
transports,  she  said  to  God  incessantly :  "  All 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA  PELTRIE. 


29 


is  thine,  O  my  God,  my  heart,  my  fortmie, 
and  my  life !" 

While  awaiting  this  decision  from  the  per- 
sons to  whom  she  had  given  her  confidence, 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  tried  to  place  herself  in  a 
state  of  perfect  indifference  for  any  good  work 
that  might  be  proposed  to  her ;  yet,  in  spite  of 
all  her  efforts,  one  desire  ever  predominated  in 
her  soul — that  of  devoting  herself  and  her  for- 
tune to  the  education  of  the  little  girls  of 
Canada.  The  death  of  her  beloved  mother, 
and  other  severe  trials,  having  previously 
occurred,  she  was  thereby  greatly  detached 
from  all  that  bound  her  to  this  earth,  and  con- 
secrated herself  with  renewed  fervor  to  the 
practice  of  good  works.  Other  trials  now 
awaited  her.  She  fell  dangerously  ill,  and  her 
state  soon  became  so  alarming,  that  the  physi- 
cians gave  up  all  hopes  of  her  recovery,  and 


30 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


i    ! 


only  visited  her  through  consideration  for  her 
rank.  Those  who  attended  her  expected  that 
every  moment  would  be  her  last,  but  in  this 
extremity,  she  enjoyed  the  perfect  use  of  her 
senses,  and  did  not  forget  the  mission  so  dear 
to  her  heart.  As  her  thoughts  were  con- 
stantly turning  towards  Canada,  she  one  day 
felt  insj)ired  to  make  a  vow  to  St.  Joseph, 
first  patron  of  this  country,  that  "  Should  it 
please  God  to  restore  lier  to  health,  she  would 
go  there  and  found  a  house  in  his  honor,  and 
that  she  would  devote  her  own  life  to  the 
service  and  instruction  of  the  Indian  girls." 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  here  that  she  was  at 
the  time  so  near  death,  that  her  attendants 
passed  the  ensuing  night  in  making  for  her  a 
Habit  of  the  Order  of  St.  Francis,  with  which 
she  desired  to  be  buried.  While  those  around 
her  bed  were  watching  her  in  the  greatest  sus- 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


31 


pense,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  fell  into  a  profound 
sleep.  Some  hours  after  she  awoke,  and  to  the 
astonishment  of  all,  she  was  perfectly  cured  ! 
No  one  could  suspect  what  had  passed  between 
herself  and  her  heavenly  friend,  St.  Joseph, 
but  she  was  more  determined  than  ever  to 
sacrifice  her  life  and  her  fortune  to  the  Mis- 
sions of  Canada.  The  next  morning,  as  the 
physicians  heard  that  she  was  not  yet  dead, 
one  of  them  called  to  see  her,  and,  having  felt 
her  pulse,  he  exclaimed  in  a  transport  of  sur- 
prise, "  Madame,  you  are  cured,  your  fever  is 
certainly  gone  to  Canada !"  He  knew  nothing 
of  her  secret,  but  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  who  well 
remembered  what  had  passed  during  the 
night,  answered  with  a  pleasant  smile,  "  Yes, 
sir,  it  is  gone  to  Canada !" 

After  so  visible  a  protection  of  Heaven,  our 
generous  widow  was  more  than  ever  pene- 


32 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTKIE. 


trated  with  a  sense  of  the  Divine  goodness, 
and  she  felt  Avithin  her  soul  an  increased  zeal 
for  the   glory  of  God   and  the  salvation   of 
souls.     On  one  occasion  especially,  it  was  the 
Feast  of  the  Visitation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
she  was  impressed  more  strongly  than  usual 
with  the  conviction  that  it  was  the  will  of  God 
that  she  should  go  to  Canada,  that  he  would 
in  consequence  bestow  abundant  graces  upon 
her  in  that  savage  land,  that  she  would  be  an 
humble  instrument  of  his  glory,  and  there  end 
her  days  iu  peace.     These  interior  manifesta- 
tions of  the  will  of  Heaven  produced  in  her 
soul  the  most  profound  admii'ation  of  the  in- 
finite goodness  of  God,  as  well  as  sentiments 
of  confusion  in  view  of  her  own  unworthiness. 
She  frequently  wept  with  joy  and  gratitude, 
and  renewed  her  hope  in  the  promises  of  the 
Most  High.    However,  Mme.  de   la  Peltrie, 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA  TELTRIE. 


33 


who  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  the  vir- 
tues of  modesty  and  submission,  so  becoming 
in  her  sex,  referred  all  her  doubts  and  per- 
plexities to  the  persons  whom  she  at  first 
consulted.  These  at  length  agreed  in  their 
decision,  that  it  was  evidently  the  work  of 
God,  and  that  she  could  not  any  longer  defer 
the  execution  of  her  design  without  resisting 
the  inspirations  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  vow  which  she  had  privately  made 
during  her  illness  could  not,  therefore,  be  any 
longer  concealed ;  and  our  illustrious  widow, 
having  made  some  disclosures  on  the  subject, 
the  most  violent  opposition  arose  against  her. 
Friends,  relatives,  and  acquaintances,  all  united 
to  condemn  her  pious  design  as  a  rash,  roman- 
tic, and  ridiculous  notion.  They  insisted  that 
it  was  mere  folly  to  allow  a  young  w^idow  of 
her  rank  and  5elicate  health,  endowed  with 


34 


lAFE   OF   MADAME    DE   LA   PELTIIIE. 


siicli  exterior  graces,  and  possessed  of  so  bril- 
liant a  fortune,  to  cross  the  seas  and  bury  her- 
self alive  in  the  dismal  forests  of  America. 
Iler  asfcd  father  bec^an  about  this  time  to  sus- 
pcct  that  she  had  some  pious  project  in  view, 
and  as  he  had  so  well  succeeded  in  dissuad- 
ing his  beloved  daughter  from  the  designs 
whicl)  she  had  formed  in  early  youth,  he  now 
again  resorted  to  the  same  trying  mode  of 
persuasion.  For  this  purpose  he  first  ^nidea- 
vored  to  make  her  annul  the  will  she  had 
made  during  her  late  illness;  this  she  reso- 
lutely refused  to  do,  and  ho  was  highly 
oifended. 

Being  perfectly  recovered,  Mme.  de  la  Pel- 
trie  began  to  think  seriously  of  the  means 
of  forwarding  her  proposed  mission,  while, 
strange  to  say,  her  loving  parent  was  medi- 
tating on  the  execution  of  his  f?ivorite  project, 


LIFE   OF   MADAAIE   DE   I\     PELTIUE. 


oD 


— that  of  coinpelliiig  her  to  many  a  second 
time !  We  may  therefore  jutlge  of  the  ai 
guish  of  the  good  old  gentleman  when,  afti " 
assurmg  his  daughter  that  if  she  did  not  grant 
his  request,  she  would  soon  see  liim  die  with 
grief,  he  heard  her  soliciting,  in  the  name  of 
heaven,  his  leave  to  consecrate  her  person  and 
her  fortune  to  the  Missions  of  Canada.  "  Fa- 
ther," said  she  to  him  one  evening,  throwing 
herself  at  his  feet,  after  a  most  animated  con- 
versation upon  the  subject,  "  Father,  it  is  the 
will  of  God  that  I  should  leave  both  home 
and  country  for  the  salvation  of  the  poor  Ame- 
rican Indians.  The  Lord  will  bless  your  old 
age  and  protect  me.  You  have  sister  and  her 
children  always  here  to  comfort  you.  Dearest 
father,  let  me  go !  "  This  was  too  much  for 
so  tender  a  parent,  and  ho  was  so  completely 
overcome  that,  for  a  time,  he  could  not  utter 


36 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE, 


a  syllable.  But  these  first  emotions  soon  sub- 
sided,  and  he  conjured  his  daughter,  in  the 
most  touching  manner,  not  to  abandon  him  in 
his  old  age.  Each  successive  day  he  renewed 
this  request,  thus  opposing  his  tenderness  and 
authority  to  the  execution  of  this  pious  under- 
taking. 


111 
id 


OHAFrER  IV. 


v-v', 


MR.  DE  CHAUVIONY'S  FRIENDS  UNITE  WITH  IIIM  TO  GAIN 
MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE — SHE  HAS  RECOURSE  TO  A  STRA- 
TAGEM— DEATH   OF   MR.  DE   CHAUVIGNY. 

Until  the  present  moment,  we  have  seen 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  struggling  against  the 
subduing  tenderness  of  her  father  alone,  but 
henceforth  we  shall  see  her  assailed  by  two 
different  parties ;  the  one  headed  by  her  father, 
who  exhausted  every  effort  to  try  and  force 
her  to  marry  again ;  the  other  by  her  sis- 
ter and  brother-in-law,  who  tried  to  deprive 
her  of  the  management  of  her  proj)erty.  Per- 
sons of  rank  and  merit,  both  in  church  and 

state,  advised  her  to  marry  according  to  her 

4* 


38 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


I:. 


i 


\M. 


I 


!■!«,' 


father's  wish.  Authorized  by  him,  powerful 
and  wealthy  noblemen  were  constantly  renew- 
ing their  addresses,  and,  as  she  declined  them 
all  without  exception,  she  saw  her  aged  parent 
so  unhappy  that  it  required  all  her  energy  of 
character  and  solid  virtue  to  resist  him.  In 
this  trying  position  she  again  addressed  her- 
self to  God,  humbly  begging  him  to  bless  a 
little  stratagem-  inspired  by  her  filial  piety. 
As  she  was  fully  determined  never  to  marry, 
and  wished  at  the  same  time  to  please  her 
father,  she  was  inspired  and  advised  to  open 
her  mind  upon  the  subject  to  a  man  well- 
known  for  the  sanctity  of  his  life ;  this  was  Mr. 
de  Bernieres,  the  Royal  Treasurer  at  Caen. 
Having  in  a  long  letter  explained  to  him  her 
trials,  as  well  as  the  resolution  she  had  taken 
of  devoting  herself  to  the  Missions  of  Canada, 
she  concluded  by  declaring  frankly  that  he 


I 


I 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


39 


)f 


could  deliver  her  from  all  jDursuit  and  annoy- 
ance by  only  pretending  to  her  father  that  he 
wished  to  marry  her,  and  begged  of  him  to 
make  that  demand,  on  condition  that  such  an 
alliance  should  never  in  reality  take  place. 
To  throw  more  light  upon  the  subject,  we 
shall  here  again  lay  before  our  young  readers 
an  extract  from  the  writings  of  the  venerable 
Mother  de  L'Incarnation,  who  was  afterwards 
so  intimately  connected  with  these  two  pure 
and  holy  souls. 

"  Mr.  de  Bernieres,  who  was  as  pure  as  an 
angel,  having  received  this  letter  from  Mme. 
de  la  Peltrie,  was  surprised  beyond  all  expres- 
sion, and  did  not  know  what  answer  he  should 
make  to  such  an  extraordinary  request.  He 
consulted  his  director  and  other  persons  of 
eminent  piety,  who  advised  him  to  accede 
to  the  lady's  proposal,  adding  that  they  knew 


I 


I 


40 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


Mrae.  de  la  Peltrie,  and  that  she  only  requested 
his  concurrence  to  favor  her  pious  design. 
He,  however,  afterwards  acknowledged  to  me 
that,  notwithstanding  all  the  esteem  he  had 
for  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  he  was  three  days 
trying  to  decide  himself  to  make  the  proposed 
demand.  He  felt  a  great  struggle,  fearing  to 
risk  himself  in  such  a  perilous  position  ;  besides 
this,  all  the  world  was  aware  of  his  resolution 
never  to  marry.  However,  after  many  fervent 
prayers  addressed  to  heaven,  he  resolved  to 
proceed  in  this  affair,  and  accordingly  wrote 
to  an  intimate  friend  of  his  residing  at  Alengon, 
Mr.  de  la  Bourbonniere,  charging  him  to  make 
this  singular  demand  of  marriage  of  Mme.  de 
la  Peltrie's  father.  The  worthy  friend  w^as 
delighted  to  have  so  very  agreeable  an  oppor- 
tunity of  rendering  an  essential  service  to  Mr. 
de  Bernieres.    As  soon  as  Mr.  de  Yaubeson 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE.  41 


read  the  letter  and  understood  the  import  of 
this  commission,  lie  was  transported  with  joy, 
and  begged  of  Mr.  de  la  Bourbonniere  to  call 
on  his  daughter  and  obtain  her  consent.  Im- 
patient, however,  to  know  what  might  be  the 
result,  he  called  her  in  private,  and  asked  her 
what  she  thought  of  this  gentleman's  proposal. 
The  prudent  young  widow  answered  with 
much  respect  and  modesty,  that  as  she  knew 
Mr.  de  Bernieres  to  be  a  favorite  with  himself, 
she  also  preferred  him  to  all  others.  The 
nobleman  already  mentioned  having  also  soli- 
cited her  consent  (which  it  was  not  very  hard 
for  him  to  obtain),  he  went  immediately  to 
give  the  answer  to  Mr.  de  Bernieres,  who  was 
thereby  thrown  into  the  most  awkward  posi- 
tion, because  he  had  to  repair  without  delay 
to  the  city  of  Alengon,  to  make  the  arrange- 


42 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


ments    necessary   for   this   singular    form    of 


f  '" 


marriage ! 


"  Mr.  de  Vaubegon,  though  confined  to  his 
bed  at  the  time,  did  not  cease  pressing  his 
daughter  to  conclude  her  preparations,  and  as 
the  good  old  gentleman  at  length  perceived 
that  neither  herself  nor  Mr.  de  Bernieres 
seemed  in  a  hurry,  he  began  to  suspect  that 
they  wished  to  deceive  him.  Their  friends, 
also,  became  irritated ;  they  publicly  declared 
that  she  was  incapable  of  managing  her  pro- 
perty, and  a  suit  at  law  being  brought  before 
the  court  of  Alengon,  judgment  was  given 
against  her.  Our  virtuous  widow  did  not, 
however,  lose  courage.  As  she  had  given  her 
confidence  to  Mr.  de  Bernieres,  she  informed 
him  of  all  that  passed.  While,  on  one  hand, 
she  flattered  her  father  each  day,  telling  him 
that  this  nobleman  was  too  honorable  to  fail  in 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


43 


of 


keeping  his  word,  and  that  she  had  letters  in- 
forming her  that  his  affixirs  would  not  permit 
him  to  come  before  the  expiration  of  several 
weeks.  Meanwhile  this  excellent  man  devoted 
himself  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostle  to  the  in- 
terests of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie. 

"  Having  made,  in  secret,  the  journey  to 
Alengon,  he  went  to  stay  at  the  house  of  a 
mutual  friend,  where  they  had  frequent  oppor- 
tunities of  seeing  each  other  and  consulting  the 
most  eminent  divines  on  the  means  of  eifecting 
this  pretended  marriage.  Some  were  of  opi- 
nion that  they  should  marry  in  reality,  and, 
with  reciprocal  consent,  observe  their  former 
vows ;  others  feared  that  her  family  would,  in 
that  case,  trouble  Mr.  de  Bernieres  on  account 
of  the  property,  so  the  resolution  was  taken 
that  they  should  only  pretend  to  be  married." 

When   the  news  of  this  apparent  engage- 


44 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


ment  became  known,   it    procured  her    the 
liberty  of  corresponding  with  Mr.  de  Bernieres 
about  her  mission ;  and,  while  her  father  was 
getting  his  chateau  repaired  and  hung  with 
n€w  tapestry,  to  receiye  this  intended  son-in- 
law,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  was  adorning  it  with 
new  furniture  to   amuse  the  world.     Mean- 
while, these  two  holy  persons  had  frequent  in- 
terviews,  during   which,  they  concerted  the 
means  of  securing  the  success  of  an  enterprise 
which  had  become  equally  dear  to  both.     It 
was  thus  in  the  saloons  of  a  Catholic  noble- 
man, under  appearances  so  different  from  re- 
ality, that  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  formed  one  of 
the  most  generous  designs  ever  executed  by  a 
womani    Her  friends  are  weaving  garlands  to 
adorn  her  bridal  chamber,  and  she  is  laying 
plans  to  divest  herself  of  a  noble  inheritance, 
for  the    love   of  Jesus    Christ.     Oh !    Holy 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE    LA   PELTRIE. 


45 


Church,  in  every  age,  thou  hast  had  children 
worthy  of  thyself ! 

4^  4«  «r  i|e  «r  ♦  He 

Several  months  had  now  elapsed,  during 
which  this  incomparable  lady  and  gentleman 
had  settled  various  affairs  relative  to  the  Mis- 
sion  of  Canada.  The  season  was  advancing, 
yet  they  dared  not  reveal  the  secret  of  this 
intended  voyage,  to  the  old  gentleman,  who, 
quite  unconscious  of  their  real  project,  was  con- 
stantly urging  them  to  celebrate  their  long- 
wished  for  nuptials.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the 
distress  and  anxiety  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  at 
this  critical  period.  In  her  embarrassment, 
she  had  frequent  recourse  to  prayer,  conjuring 
the  Almighty  to  give  her  father  sufficient 
strength  to  bear  this  necessary  separation.  It, 
however,  pleased  the  Lord  to  relieve  her,  in  a 
most  unexpected  manner,  by  calling  to  him- 


f! 


46 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


self  the  good  old  gentleman,  who,  happy  to 
think  that  his  daughter  had  chosen  so  worthy 
a  guardian  and  protector,  calmly  resigned  his 
son!  into  the  hands  of  his  Creator. 


m 


I 


m 


\ 


'\ 


V 


0 

is 


CHAPTER  V. 

OTHEE  TRIALS  OF  MMB.   DE  LA  PELTRIE — SHE  GAINS  HBR 
LAWSUIT — PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE  TO  CANADA. 

By  the  death  of  her  father,  Mme.  de  la 
Peltrie  saw  one  great  obstacle  to  her  design 
removed ;  but  numerous  others  were  soon 
raised  against  her.  Persons  who  had  formerly 
admired  her  devout  life,  now  blamed  her  for 
the  sudden  and  unaccountable  change  that 
appeared  in  her  exterior ;  they  even  went  so 
far  as  to  reproach  her  in  public,  for  having 
embraced  a  state  of  life  which  she  had  so  for- 
mally renounced !  To  all  these  insults  she 
answered,  with  a  modest  smile,  that  she  felt 
herself  bound  to  do  the  will  of  God.    By  Mr.  de 


48 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


Bernieres'  advice,  she  appealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Rouen,  to  have  her  law-suit  revised ; 
on  repairing  to  that  city,  with  her  lawyer,  they 
requested  her  to  take,  in  Court,  a  certain  oath, 
which,  to  them,  appeared  necessary  for  the 
success  of  her  affairs.  As  she  was  very  timid, 
she  could  not  resign  herself  to  this,  but  placing 
her  trust  in  God,  she  begged  of  him,  through 
the  intercession  of  St.  Joseph,  to  grant  her 
success  for  His  greater  glory,  renewing,  at  the 
same  time,  her  vow  to  establish  a  House  in 
Quebec,  for  the  instruction  of  the  Indian  girls. 
The  Almighty  was  pleased  to  hear  the  prayer 
of  his  devoted  servant.  To  the  astonishment 
of  all,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  gained  her  law-suit, 
and  the  very  next  day  a  deputy  came  to  her 
with  the  joyful  news  !  . . .  Our  virtuous  widow 
now  saw  her  affairs  so  judiciously  managed  by 
Mr.  de  Bernieres  that  nothing  remained  to  be 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   rELTRIE. 


49 


) 


done,  but  to  select  the  nuns  required  for  the 
establishment. 

For  this  purpose  Mr.  de  Bernieres  accom- 
panied her  to  Paris.  During  her  stay  in  that 
city,  the  party  opposed  to  her  had  spies  posted 
to  watch  and  seize  her,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
execution  of  her  design.  To  elude  their  pur- 
suit, she  changed  dresses  with  her  waiting-maid 
every  time  she  went  out ;  thus  equipped,  and 
walking  through  the  streets  beside  her  foot- 
man, she  acted  her  part  so  admirably,  that 
they  could  not  detect  her.  From  Paris  they 
went  to  Tours,  whither  the  Jesuit  Fathers  had 
directed  them  to  get,  in  the  Ursuline  Convent 
of  that  city,  the  venerable  Mother  Mary  de 
L'Incarnation,  a  woman  of  extraordinary  sanc- 
tity, who  in  the  year  1633  had  a  remarkable  in- 
sight given  to  her  by  God,  in  regard  to  Mme. 

de  la  Peltrie  and  her  establishment  in  Canada. 

5* 


50 


LIFE   OF   MADAMS   DE  LA   PELTBIS. 


I 


But  we  must  hear  what  she  herself  says  on 
the  subject,  and,  as  our  young  readers  are  con- 
versant in  both  languages,  though  we  translate 
our  extracts,  we  will  retain  the  original,  lest 
we  injure  the  admirable  simplicity  of  expres- 
sion which  stamps  them  with  the  sacred  seal  of 
truth.  "  On  her  arrival  the  bell  summoned  tho 
community.  All  the  religious  wept  with  joy 
on  beholding  this  lady  whom  they  regarded  as 
an  angel  from  heaven  ;  while,  for  her  part,  she 
thought  herself  in  paradise.  For  myself  I  can 
say  that  the  moment  I  laid  my  eyes  on  her, 
I  recollected  my  vision  and  recognised  in  her 
the  companion  with  whom  I  had  seen  that  great 
country.  Her  sweet  expression,  her  complex- 
ion and  her  whole  manners  renewed  the  idea. 
Still  more  had  I  to  admire  the  designs  of  divine 
providence  when  I  learned  from  her  own  lips 
that  at  the  very  time  that  God  enabled  me 


I 


LIFE   OW   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


51 


to  recognise  her,  he  had  also  given  her  the 
first  inspirations  of  founding  a  seminary  in 
Canada."* 

The  Ven.  Archbishop  of  Tours  gave  Mme. 
de  la  Peltrie  and  Mr.  de  Bernieres  a  most  dis- 
tinguished reception,  and  promised  to  do  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  favor  the  success  of  their 
enterprise.     He  authorised  the  Ursulines  to  re- 

*  "  A  son  arrivee  la  Communaute  s'assembla  au  son  de  la 
cloche.  Toutes  les  religieuses  pleuraient  de  joie  de  voir 
cette  pieuso  Dame  qu'elles  regardaient  comme  un  ange  du 
Ciel.  Elle,  de  sou  c6te,  pensait  6tre  en  Paradis.  Pour  inoi, 
au  moment  que  jo  jetai  les  yeux  sur  elle,  je  me  souvins  de 
ma  vision,  et  je  reconnus  en  elle  la  compagne  avec  qui 
j'avais  vu  ce  grand  pays.  Sa  douceur,  son  teint  et  toutes 
ses  manieres  m'en  renouvellerent  I'idee.  Co  qui  me  fit 
encore  admirer  la  Divine  Providence,  fut  ce  que  j'appris 
apres  d'elle-meme,  qu'en  memo  temps  que  Dieu  me  I'avait 
fait  connaitre,  11  lui  avait  aussi  donne  les  premieres  inspi- 
rations de  fonder  un  Seminaire  en  Canada^' 


52 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


■3 


ceive  Mine,  de  la  Peltrie  within  the  cloister, 
and  pay  to  her  all  the  honors  due  to  his  own 
rank.  She  was  much  pleased  with  the  whole 
community,  and  very  particularly  so  with  the 
Ven.  Mother  de  L'Incarnation.  Mr.  de  Ber- 
nieres,  who  had  remained  in  the  parlor,  assisted 
her  in  the  selection  of  the  second  sister  required. 
After  gome  deliberation,  the  choice  fell  upon 
the  daughter  of  a  distinguished  nobleman  of 
Anjou,  Mr.  de  Savonniere  de  la  Troche  de  St. 
Germain,  a  young  religious  named  Marie  de 
St.  Joseph,  who  was  held  in  great  esteem  for 
her  piety. 

Having  thus  happily  settled  all  things  with 
the  Ursulines,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  took  leave 
of  them,  and  leading  with  her  the  two  nuns, 
chosen  for  her  Mission,  she  went  to  present 
her  respects  to  the  Yen.  Archbishop.  The 
aged  prelate,  being  unable  to  celebrate  mass 


LIFE   OF   lifADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


53 


for  them  that  morning,  got  his  chaplain  to 
offer  the  Holy  Sacrifice  in  his  own  private 
chapel,  after  which  he  made  them  a  most 
touching  exhortation  and  his  clergymen  sang 
the  psaiiii  la  exitu  and  the  Magnificat.  Then 
he  blessed  them  with  many  tears,  and  they  left 
for  Paris.  As  soon  as  the  Queen  heard  of 
their  arrival  in  the  capital,  she  expressed  a 
desire  to  see  them,  and  sent  an  invitation  to 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  who  conducted  the  two 
Ursulines  to  the  Royal  Palace  of  the  Louvre, 
and  presented  them  to  her  Majesty.  The 
Queen  bestowed  much  praise  on  their  noble 
undertaking,  presented  them  to  the  Dauphin, 
her  son,  and  obtained  for  them  the  special 
protection  of  the  King.  During  their  stay  in 
Paris,  they  also  received  an  invitation  from 
the  Ursulines  of  that  city,  but  as  their  affairs 
did  not  permit  them  to  go  there  immediately, 


54 


LIFE   OP   MADAME  DE   LA   PELl  :IE. 


) 


S! 


V,. 


they  went  to  lodge  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  de 
Meules,  Master  of  the  King's  Household.  For 
the  greater  edification  of  my  young  readers 
I  shall  here  again  present  them  an  extract 
from  Yen.  Mother's  writings,  which  we  were 
forced  to  translate  in  consequence  of  its  length : 
"  Mr.  de  Bernieres  accompanied  us  everywhere, 
and  all  took  him  to  be  the  husband  of  Mme. 
de  la  Peltrie,  so  that  during  his  illness,  she 
remained  all  the  day  at  his  bedside ;  the  physi- 
cians made  to  her  their  observations  on  his 
state  as  well  as  their  prescriptions  for  the 
medicine.  Her  mask  was  suspended  to  his 
bed-curtains,  and  those  who  called  to  see  him 
spoke  to  her  as  to  his  wife.  Though  we  were 
all  much  grieved  at  this  illness,  yet  it  proved 
to  us  a  subject  of  mirth  and  recreation.  This 
comedy  of  marriage  gave  him  other  thoughts, 
for  when  he  reflected  on  the  message  he  had 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


55 


given  his  friend  to  go  and  ask  Mme.  de  la 
Peltrie's  father  to  give  her  to  him  in  marriage, 
he  used  to  say  to  us :  '  Oh !  what  will  Mr.  de  la 
Bourbonniere  think  of  me  for  acting  such  a 
farce  ?  My  God !  what  will  he  say  ?  I  do 
not  dare  to  appear  in  his  presence,  yet  I  will 
go  throw  myself  at  his  feet,  and  beg  his  par- 
don.' Thus  we  spent  our  recreations  together, 
the  ordinary  conversation  was  about  our  Ca- 
nada, the  things  requisite  for  the  journey,  and 
what  we  should  do  for  the  natives  of  that 
savage  land.  Mr.  de  Bernieres  had  an  ex- 
treme compassion  for  Mother  St.  Joseph,  who 
was  then  but  twenty-two  years  of  age.  As  to 
Mme.  de  la  Petrie  and  myself,  he  had  no  pity 
at  all  on  us,  and  he  used  to  say  that  he  wished 
we  might  both  be  put  to  death  for  the  faith  of 
Jesus  Christ." 

All  the  preparations  for  this  extraordinary 


f 


oQ 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


voyage  were  carried  on  very  secretly  in  Pa- 
ris. During  Mr.  de  Bernieres'  illness,  Father 
Charles  Lalemant  took  care  of  their  affairs; 
and  as  place  could  not  be  found  for  their  bag- 
gage and  provisions,  in  the  vessels  of  the  co- 
lony, Mr.  de  Bernieres  freighted  a  vessel  pur- 
posely for  them,  because  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie 
spared  no  expense,  provided  she  could  succeed 
in  her  undertaking.  As  we  have  previously 
mentioned,  the  Ursulines  of  Paris  invited 
our  zealous  missionaries  to  go  and  stay  with 
them,  but  it  was  not  until  the  week  before 
their  departure  that  they  could  enjoy  this 
mutual  satisfaction.  While  in  the  Convent, 
this  fervent  band  gave  much  edification, 
and  they  had  the  pleasure  to  find  one  of 
the  community,  Mother  St.  Jerome,  dis- 
posed to  join  the  Mission.  In  this,  how- 
ever, all  were  severely  disappointed;  by  the 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


51 


illness  of  this  excellent  religious,  she  was  pre- 
vented from  joining  the  Mission  to  Canada, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  year  following,  that 
the  Convent  of  Paris  sent  out  two  members 
to  assist  in  the  foundation  at  Quebec. 


i .  *<Fs- 


6 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DEPARTURE    FROM    PARIS — ACCOUNT    OP    THE  JOURNEY — 
LAST  ADIEU — STORMY  PASSAGE — SAFE  ARRIVAL. 

From  Paris,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  accompanied 
by  Mr.  de  Bernieres,  proceeded  to  Dieppe 
with  the  nuns.  I  shall  here  again  mtroduce  a 
note  from  the  Ven.  Mother's  writings,  but  lest 
we  disfigure  its  simple  beauty  of  expression, 
we  also  insert  the  original  text : 

"  Our  affairs  being  terminated  at  Paris,  we 
began  our  journey  to  Dieppe,  the  place  of  em- 
barkation, Mr.  de  Bernieres  being  constantly 
our  guardian  angel.  He  regulated  our  time 
and  observances  in  the  carriage,  and  we  ad- 


LIFE   OF   MADAMS   DB   LA  PELTRIE. 


59 


hered  to  them  as  faithfully  as  in  the  convent. 
He  made  his  meditation  and  observed  silence 
as  we  did.  Whenever  we  stopped,  he  went 
and  provided  for  all  our  wants  with  singular 
affection.  He  had  two  servants  with  him,  who 
waited  on  us  as  though  they  had  been  in  our 
employ,  especially  his  lackey,  who  knew  the 
whole  secret  of  the  supposed  marriage.  At 
Rouen,  we  met  Father  Charles  Lalemant,  who 
had  prepared  everything  for  the  voyage  so  se- 
cretly that  it  had  scarcely  been  observed  in  the 
house.  He  had  the  charity  to  take  us  to 
Dieppe,  and  put  on  board  all  our  stores  and 
baggage.  Madame  de  la  Peltrie  bore  all  the  ex- 
pense. Mr.  de  Bernieres  would  have  embarked 
with  US  had  not  Madame  de  la  Peltrie  consti- 
tuted him  her  attorney,  to  defray  the  expenses 
of  the  foundation,  and  manage  her  affairs  in 
France,  for  her  relatives  believed  her  to  be 


60 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTKIE. 


really  married  ;  had  they  not  they  would  have 
stopped  us  or  at  least  ke[)t  us  back  that  year. 
This  great  servant  of  God  could  not  leave  us, 
he  took  us  to  the  ship  accompanied  by  Father 
Lalemant,  and  both  rendered  us  every  good 
and  charitable  service  necessary  in  that  mo- 
ment, as  the  sea  made  us  very  sick."* 

*  "  Nos  affaires  etant  expediees  a  Paris,  nous  partimes 
pour  nous  rendre  a  Dieppe,  le  lieu  de  I'cmbarquement,  Mr. 
de  Bernieres  etant  toujours  notre  Angc  Gardien.  II  r6- 
glait  notre  temps  et  nos  observances  dans  le  Carrosse  et 
nous  les  gardions  aussi  exactenient  que  dans  le  Monastere. 
II  faisait  oraison  et  gardait  le  silence  aussi  bion  que  nous. 
A  tons  les  gites,  c'etait  toujours  lui  qui  allait  pourvoir  a 
tons  nos  bcsoins  avec  une  affection  singuliere.  II  avail 
deux  servitcurs  qui  le  servaient  et  qui  nous  servaient  com- 
me  s'ils  eussent  ete  a  nous,  surtout  son  Laquais,  qui  sa- 
vait  tout  le  secret  du  mariage  suppose.  Nous  trouvames 
a  Rouen,  le  Rev.  P^re  Charles  Lalemant  qui  avait  fjiit  pre- 
parer toutes  choses  pour  le  voyage,  si  secretement,  qu'a 


1^ 


^' 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


61 


During  their  stay  in  Dieppe,  the  pious  foun- 
dress obtained  another  Ursuline;  this  was 
Mother  Cecilia  de  la  Croix,  who  devoted  her- 
self with  admirable  fervor  to  the  Mission  of 
Canada.  In  Dieppe,  they  were  also  joined  by 
other  nuns  ;  three  devoted  Sisters  of  the  H6tel 


peine  s'eri  etait-on  aper9u  dans  la  maison.    II  nous  fit  la 

charite  de  nous  conduire  a  Dieppe,  ct  de  faire  embarquer 

toutes  nos  provisions  et  notre  equipage,  Madame  de  la 

Peltrie  fournissant  a  toute  la  depense.     Mr.  de  Berni^res 

se  fut  embarque  avec  nous  pour  faire  lo  voyage,  si  Mme. 

de  la  Peltrie  ne  I'eCit  constitue  son  Procureur  pour  faire 

les  d^penses  de  sa  fondation,  et  pour  conduire  ses  affaires 

en  France  ;   car  ses  parens  croyaient  assurement  qu'ils 

etaient  maries,  sans  cela,  ils  nous  eussent  arretees,  ou  du 

moins  retardees'cette  annee  la.    Ce  grand  serviteur  de  Dieu 

ne  pouvait  nous  quitter.     II  nous  mena,  dans  le  naviro 

accompagnee  du  Rev.  Pere  Lalemant,  ct  tous  deux  nous 

rendiront  tous  les  bons  et  charitables  offices  necessaires 

dans  cette  rencontre,  oCi  la  mer  nous  rendait  fort  malades." 

6* 


62 


LIFE    OF    MADAME   DE    LA   PELTRIE. 


Dieu  Hospital  in  that  city,  being  sent  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Duchess  d'Aiguillon  to 
found  the  Hotel  Dieu,  which  still  exists  in  Que- 
bec, for  the  service  of  the  poor.  But  we  must 
hear  again  the  Rev.  Mother  as  she  continues  in 
her  own  beautiful  language : 

"  At  last  we  had  to  part,  and  bid  adieu  for 
ever  to  our  guardian  angel,  but  though  sepa- 
rated from  us,  his  goodness  made  him  take 
care  of  our  aiFairs,  with  a  more  than  paternal 
goodness.  In  all  our  conversations  together, 
from  our  first  mterview  to  our  separation,  we 
saw  that  the  man  of  God  was  possessed  with 
His  spirit,  and  absolutely  disengaged  from  that 
of  the  world.  I  never  heard  him  utter  a  word 
approaching  levity,  and  though  agreeable  in 
conversation,  he  never  forgot  his  due  and 
habitual  modesty.  This,  dear  father,  is  a 
slight  sketch  of  what  passed  in  regard  to  Mme. 


I 


LIFB    OP   MADAME   DE    LA   PELTKIB. 


63 


de  la  Peltrie  and  Mr.  de  Bernieres ;  you  may 
rely  upon  it,  as  I  endeavored  to  give  it  with 
more  fidelity  than  ornament  or  elegance."* 

Such  was  the  man  chosen  by  Heaven  to  as- 
sist this  generous  Lady  and  forward  her  foun- 
dation in  Quebec.     All  preparations  for  this 


*  "  Enfin,  il  fallut  nous  separer,  et  quitter  pour  jamais, 
notro  Ango  Gardien,  mais  quoiqu'  il  fut  eloigne  do  nous,  sa 
bonte  lui  fit  prendre  le  soin  de  nos  affaires  avec  une  bontd 
plus  que  paternelle.  Dans  toutes  les  conversations  que 
nous  eCimes  avec  lui  dopuis  notre  premiere  entrevuo  jus- 
qu'a  notre  separation,  nous  reconnfimes  que  cet  homme  de 
Dieu  etait  possede  de  son  esprit  et  entierement  ennemi  de 
celui  du  monde.  Jamais  je  ne  I'ai  entendu  proferer  une  pa- 
role de  legerete ;  et,  quoiqu'il  fut  d'uno  agreable  conversa- 
tion, il  no  se  demontait  jamais  de  la  modestie  convenable. 
Voila,  mon  Rev.  Pere,  un  petit  abr6ge  de  ce  que  s'est  pas- 
se au  sujet  de  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  ct  de  Mr.  de  Bernieres ; 
vous  pouvez  y  ajouter  foi  parce  que  je  me  suis  pfforcee  de 
le  faire  avec  plus  de  fidelity  quo  d'ornement  et  d'elegance." 


I 


64 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE. 


long  and  perilous  journey,  being  now,  as  we 
have  seen,  happily  conchided,  this  generous 
nobleman,  after  promising  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie 
that  he  would  ever  be  her  friend,  and  the 
guardian  of  all  her  interests  in  France,  con- 
ducted her  with  the  nuns  on  board  the  vessel, 
and  placing  them  under  the  care  of  the  Jesuit 
Fathers  going  to  Canada,  bid  her  a  last  adieu. 
Thus  ended  the  pretended  engagement  of 
this  virtuous  lady  and  gentleman,  which  caused, 
at  the  time,  so  much  inquiry  and  excitement 
among  the  nobility  in  France,  and  which,  after 
a  lapse  of  two  hundred  years,  cannot  fail  excit- 
ing feelings  of  admiration  in  the  heart  of  every 
virtuous  woman  !  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  thus  for- 
sook the  gay  and  brilliant  circles  of  polished 
society  in  France,  to  live  and  die  in  labor,  pri- 
vation, and  suffering,  among  the  poor  disgust- 
ing Indians  of  Canada,  and  Mr.  de  Bernieres 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


65 


returned  to  liis  royal  commission  at  Caen, 
wliere  lie  devoted  himself  until  his  death,  to  the 
interests  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  in  Quebec! 
Let  us  now  behold  our  heroines  upon  the  bosom 
of  the  broad  Atlantic.  They  heave  no  sigh,  they 
shed  no  tear,  as  their  own  dear  France,  with 
its  vine-clad  hills,  recedes  from  their  view !  The 
smiles  of  Heaven  are  around  them,  and  they  be- 
hold the  immensity  of  God  reflected  on  the  fair 
mirror  of  a  calm  unruffled  sea !  They  fear  not : 
dark  clouds  may  gather,  and  the  lightnings 
flash  around  ;  the  tempest  may  howl,  and  the 
thunders  roar,  but  they  trust  in  "the  Lord 
who  ruleth  o'er  land  and  sea  ;"  they  are  going 
on  His  errand,  and  they  know  that  He  will 
protect  them  in  life  and  death.  With  joyful 
hearts  they  therefore  sing  his  praises,  and  as- 
semble at  regular  hours  to  present  Him  their 
humble    tribute    of   adoration.      Thus,   they 


i 

I 


w 


66 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


passed  the  first  few  days  of  their  journey,  but 
soon  an  awful  storm  swept  over  the  mighty 
deep.  Darkness  gathered  around  them,  like 
drapery  of  the  tomb,  and  the  frail  vessel  was 
tossed  about  like  an  atom,  on  the  bosom  of  the 
angered  billows :  the  stout  hearts  of  the  sea- 
men quail  within  them,  while  these  delicate 
ladies  remain  undaunted  in  courage,  addressing 
words  of  hope  and  consolation  to  all.  In  this 
age  of  progress  and  refinement,  we  pass  very 
comfortably  over  the  seas,  in  our  modern  pack- 
ets and  swift-sailing  steamers,  and  we  cannot, 
therefore,  form  any  idea  of  the  privations  and 
hardships  endured,  two  hundred  years  ago,  by 
these  heroic  ladies. 

The  improvements  of  the  nineteenth  century 
have  rendered  these  long  voyages  mere  plea- 
sure trips ;  at  the  present  day  our  fair  and 
smiling  travellers  are  conveyed  in  a  few  days 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


67 


from  the  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  those 
of  Europe;  in  1639,  the  clumsy  uncomfortable 
vessel  lingered  three  months  on  the  same 
route  !  Thus  it  was  with  Mme.  de  la  Peltrio 
and  her  pious  companions.  Storm  after  storm 
arose,  and  sickness  broke  out  on  board,  while 
they  were  continually  tossed  about  by  contrary 
winds.  Three  or  four  times  the  captain  and 
crew  gave  the  vessel  up  for  lost,  but  our 
devoted  Missionaries  did  not  lose  their  confi- 
dence in  Heaven,  and  Heaven  rewarded  them, 
for  all  arrived  safe  in  view  of  this  long-wished 
for  port,  on  the  1st  of  August,  1639. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


H-l 


LANDING  OF  MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE  AND  THE  NUNS — RECEP- 
TION GIVEN  TO  THEM  BY  THE  CHEVALIER  DE  MONTMAGNY, 
GOVERNOR- IN-CHIEF,  AND  ALL  ORDERS  OF  SOCIETY  IN 
QUEBEC. 

The  vessel  bearing  these  generous  ladies  had 
long  been  anxiously  expected  in  Quebec.  Great 
preparations  had  been  made  to  receive  them, 
and  as  soon  as  they  appeared  in  sight,  the  loud 
voices  of  the  cannons  in  the  Fort,  announced 
to  the  whole  colony  that  the  day  of  their 
arrival  was  one  set  apart  for  rejoicing.  The 
churches  were  decorated,  the  shops  were 
closed,  labor  of  every  kind  was  suspended, 
the   Governor-General,   Mr.   de   Montmagny, 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTKIE. 


69 


M. 


ordered  out  his  troops,  and  this  gallant  Knight 
of  Malta,  who  honored  virtue  in  every  form, 
placing  himself  at  their  head,  marched  to  the 
landing-place  to  receive  this  heroic  band  of 
Christian  ladies.  We  have  before  us  a  copy 
of  the  act  of  reception,  signed  and  sealed  219 
years  ago,  in  which  the  brave  Charles  Huon 
de  Montmagny  observes  :  "  We  sent  a  boat 
and  went  ourselves  to  receive  them  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  accompanied  by  the  princi- 
pal inhabitants  and  followed  by  most  of  the 
people,  who  evinced  extraordinary  joy  on  the 
occasion,  in  which  we  joined  by  a  discharge 
from  the  cannons  of  the  fort,  and  led  them  to 
the  fort,  where  the  Te  Deum  was  chanted  to 
thank  God  for  their  happy  arrival,  and  the 
great  good  which  we  hope,  to  the  glory  of 
God   and   the   common  benefit,  as  is  already 

shown  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  the  French 

1 


I  I)         «NMM.MJa 


b  m 


' 


if 


j 


70 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE  LA  PELTRIE. 


and  the  Indians."*  All  the  French  inhabi- 
tants, dressed  in  their  Sunday  attire,  followed 
the  troops,  rending  the  air  with  their  acclama- 
tions, and  the  poor  Indians,  who  had  never  be- 
fore witnessed  such  a  scene,  flocked  in  crowds 
from  the  neighboring  woods  to  behold  these 
extraordinary  white  women  who  had  so  often 
been  described  to  them  by  their  devoted 
fathers. 

*  "Nous  envoydmes  une  chaloupe,  et  allasmes  noua- 
m^mes  les  recevoir  au  bord  de  la  riviere,  accompagnes 
dea  principaux  habitans,  et  suivis  de  la  pluspart  du 
peuple  qui  y  faisait  paraitre  une  joie  extraordinaire,  a 
laquelle  nous  concourCimes  par  le  bruit  des  canons  de 
nostre  Fort,  et  les  amenasmes  a  I'Eglide  oil  fut  cliante 
le  Te  Deum  laudamus  pour  remereier  Dieu  do  leur  heu- 
reuse  arrivee  et  du  grand  bien  que  nous  esperons  a  la 
gloire  de  Dieu  et  a  redification  et  utilite  commune,  comme 
desja  il  est  mariifeste  au  contentement  general  des  Fran- 
cis et  dea  sauvages." 


LIFE   OF   MADAMK  DE   LA   PELTRIE, 


n 


These  pious  ladies  as  tliey  landed  knelt  down 
with  religious  devotion,  and  kissed,  with  feel- 
ings of  inexpressible  gratitude  to  God,  the 
rough  shore  of  this  land  of  exile,  which  to 
them  appeared  fairer  than  their  native  bowers.. 
After  the  first  compliments  and  salutations  the 
Governor  and  suite  conducted  them,  amid  the 
beating  of  drums  and  the  roaring  of  cannon, 
to  the  cathedral.  The  whole  population  fol- 
lowed, and  as  it  was  early  in  the  day,  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  was  offered  in  thanksgiving  to 
God.  Mass  being  concluded,  a  solemn  Te 
Deum  was  sung  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers  and 
other  clergymen  there  assembled ;  these  du- 
ties being  fulfilled,  all  orders  united  again  to 
conduct  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  the  Ursulines,  and 
the  Hospitalieres,  to  the  dwellings  prepared 
for  their  reception.  As  to  the  Ursulines,  they 
were  conducted  to  a  small  dwelling  divided 


k'I 


4 


i 


^'¥ 


i 


ii ! 


;; 


:  ! 


■■-'* 


72 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTEIE, 


into  two  apartments,  situated  on  the  river 
St.  Charles,  and  built  on  a  wharf.  That  poor 
uncomfortable  lodging  they  occupied  until  the 
21st  of  November,  1642,  when  they  took  pos 
session  of  the  Convent  built  on  the  land  con- 
ceded to  them  by  the  Governor  in  the  Upper 
Town  of  Quebec.  As  soon  as  they  arrived  at 
their  humble  dwelling,  several  little  Indian 
girls  were  presented  to  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie, 
who  folded  them  affectionately  in  her  arms 
with  all  the  rapture  of  a  fond  mother's  love, 
and  the  three  nuns  followed  her  example. 
The  Indians  stood  amazed  before  them,  gaz- 
ing with  astonishment  as  if  they  had  been 
divinities  descended  from  Heaven,  and,  to  ex- 
press their  admiration,  all  they  could  do  was 
to  raise  their  hands  to  their  mouth,  which  is 
their  mode  of  acknowledging  the  inability 
of  expressing  intense  feeling.    The  day  after 


LIFE   OP   MADAMB  DE  LA  FELTRIE. 


73 


their  arrival  our  zealous  missioners  were  con- 
ducted to  Sillery,  where  they  found  all  the 
sedentaiy  Indians  assembled  to  receive  them. 
This  visit  was  a  cause  of  great  joy  to  the 
natives  and  of  extreme  consolation  to  the 
French  ladies,  who  did  not  expect  to  find  the 
poor  savages  of  Canada  so  well  disposed  to 
receive  the  sublime  teachings  of  Christianity. 
But  the  Jesuit  Fathers  were  the  visible  angels 
of  that  flourishing  congregation.  Under  cheir 
fostering  care  the  wilderness  rejoiced,  and 
Sillery  offered  a  miniature  of  the  far-famed 
missions  of  Paraguay.  Let  us  hear  what  the 
Yen.  Mother  says  on  the  subject :  "  It  is 
admirable  to  see  our  good  Indians  of  Sillery, 
and  the  great  care  they  take  to  have  God 
served  in  their  town,  the  laws  of  the  church 
inviolably  kej)!,  and  faults  punished  to  appease 

God.    One  of  the  chief  cares  of  the  chiefs  is  to 

1* 


m 


■  I  :  '     I. 
liH  HI 


Mil 


ii 


i  '; 


I 


!■. 


74 


LIFE  OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELITIIE. 


banish  every  general  or  particular  occasion  of 
sin.  You  can  never  enter  the  chapel  without 
finding  some  Indians  there  praying  with  a  devo- 
tion that  enraptures  you.  If  any  one  forgets  the 
faith  or  morality  of  a  Christian  he  retires  selt- 
banished,  conscious  that  whether  or  no  he  must 
do  penance  or  be  shamefully  expelled."* 

*  "  Cest  une  diose  admirable  de  voir  nos  bons  sauvages 
de  Sillery,  et  le  grand  soin  qu'ils  apportent  a  co  que  Dieu 
soit  servi  dans  leur  Bourgade,  que  les  lois  de  FEglise  soient 
gardees  inviolablement,  que  les  fautes  y  soient  cbatiees 
pour  apaiser  Dieu;  Tune  des  principales  attentions  des 
capitaines,  est  a  eloigner  tout  ce  qui  peut  etre  occasion 
en  general  ou  en  partieulier.  L'on  ne  va  point  a  la 
Chapelle  qu'on  ne  trouve  quelque  sauvage  en  pri^res 
avec  tant  de  devotion  que  c^est  une  chose  ravissante. 
S'il  s'en  trouve  quelqu'un  qui  se  demente  de  la  foi  ou 
des  moeurs  de  chretien,  il  s^eloigue  ct  se  bannit  lui-meme, 
sacliant  bien  que  bongre,  malgre,  il  lui  faudrait  faire  peni- 
tence ou  etre  honteusement  chasse  de  la  Bourgade." 


i-Xi, 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


75 


On  the  return  of  these  pious  ladies  to  their 
humble  residence  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
St.  Charles,  six  little  Indian  girls  and  several 
French  children  being  confided  to  the  care  of 
the  nuns,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  begged  of  the 
Ven.  Mother  to  let  her  have  care  of  them,  so 
that  this  generous  lady,  who  had  given  up  her 
whole  fortune  to  the  Ursulines,  only  requested 
in  return,  these  first  little  wild  fruits  of  the 
Mission,  and  as  may  readily  be  supposed,  the 
Ven.  Mother  having  granted  her  request,  she 
entered  immediately  with  much  fervor  upon 
the  exercise  of  her  new  functions. 

The  devoted  foundress  began  her  Mission 
by  making  up  some  dresses  to  cover  these 
half-naked  scholars.  For  this  purpose  she  drew 
out  of  her  stores  some  crimson  camlet,  and 
dressed  them  all  alike.  When  the  Indian 
men  and  women  beheld  their  children  thus 


p.^fr 


■^: 


Ml 


H      ' 


'  i 


:;i 


i  1 


ti- 


ir 


i 


76 


LIFE   OF  MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


attired,  their  admiration  and  gratitude  knew 
no  bounds;  they  became  so  extremely  affec- 
tionate, that  they  remained  around  the  nuns 
from  morning  until  night,  like  domesticated 
fawns,  and  as  the  poor  ladies  could  not,  with 
propriety,  take  their  own  meals  without  offer- 
ing some  food  to  these  uninvited  guests,  Mme. 
de  la  Peltrie  had  to  keep  constantly  on  the 
fire,  a  large  pot  of  Sagamite,  a  kind  of  Indian 
porridge,  which  she  presented  with  her  'own 
hand  to  these  famished  visitors.  These,  in 
their  turn,  often  pressed  the  noble  widow  to 
go  and  eat  in  their  huts,  an  invitation  which 
she  often  accepted,  and  enjoyed  with  more 
pleasure  than  she  had  formerly  done  the  so- 
ciety of  polished  knights  and  high-born  ladies. 
During  this  first  year  of  her  residence  in  Ca- 
nada, the  sweetest  diversion  of  Mme.  de  la 
Peltrie   was  to   conduct   her  little   favorites, 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE. 


77 


after  school-hours,  to  the  grounds  which  had 
been  conceded  to  herself  and  the  nuns,  by  the 
Governor-General,  in  the  name  of  the  King  of 
France.  These  grounds  were  situated  hi  the 
centre  of  that  part  of  the  city,  formerly  called 
Stadacona,  now  the  upper  town  of  Quebec.  It 
was  then  a  most  lovely  and  inviting  spot,  co- 
vered with  its  original  sugar-maple,  pine,  birch, 
and  ash  trees,  all  of  which,  with  the  exception 
of  one,  have  long  since  submitted  to  the  laws 
of  decay.  This  old  relic  of  by-gone  days  yet 
stands  at  the  north-eastern  angle  of  the  present 
building.  Though  shattered  by  many  a  storm, 
the  old  ash  tree  still  offers,  to  the  inmates  of 
the  Ursuline  Convent,  a  grateful  shade  during 
the  summer  months  ;  happy  in  its  old  age^ 
to  have  excited  the  sympathies  of  a  revered 
clergyman.  Venerable  Father  Maguire,  who 
did  not  deem  it  unworthy  of  filling  a  page  in 


{( 


l!| 


.li 


1'  i: 


!ii 


11 
i 

I' 
I 

i- 


;    V 


78 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIK. 


the  interesting  notes  which  he  wrote  on  this 
foundation,  a  few  years  before  his  much-la- 
mented death. 

To  gratify  our  young  readers,  we  shall  here 
offer  to  them,  in  the  original  text,  the  beauti- 
ful passage  traced  by  his  graceful  pen : 

THE  OLD  ASH  TREE. 

"  It  would  be  unpardonable  to  pass  in  silence 
the  old  ash  tree,  the  giant  of  our  ancient  forest, 
which  has  occupied,  for  the  space  of  ^ve  hun- 
dred years,  at  least,  the  area  formed  by  the 
angle  of  the  choir,  and  the  eastern  extremity 
of  the  wing  of  the  Holy  Family.  Silent  wit- 
ness of  the  events  which  have  succeeded  each 
other,  during  its  long  existence,  in  this  remote 
region  of  the  civilized  world,  why  is  it  not  en- 
dowed with  a  voice  to  relate  the  history  of  the 
generations  of  red  men  which  it  has  seen  sue- 


LIFE   OP    MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


19 


cessively  reposing  under  its  luxuriant  foliage ! 
....  Why  may  it  not  reveal  to  us  the  dark  se- 
crets of  war  and  poace  and  treachery,  confided 
to  its  silent  discretion  !  .  .  .  describe  the  savage 
feats  of  scalping  and  slow-ure  tortures,  and 
cannibal  festivities,  which  are  known  to  have 
been  more  horribly  frequent  at  some  periods 

than  at  others ! But  what  must  have 

been  the  amazement  of  this  venerable  witness 
of  ages  past,  when,  about  two  hundred  years 
ago,  it  saw  a  timid  troop  of  white  virgins  come 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  red  men,  and  settle  with 
them,  beneath  its  shade !  .  .  .  when  it  first 
heard  the  sound  of  their  melodious  hymns  and 
enraptured  aspirations  to  the  author  of  life!  .  . 
when  it  compared  their  habits  of  neatness  and 
order,  their  air  of  modesty  and  propriety,  with 
the  disgusting  manners  and  barbarous  customs 
of  these  untaught  and  brutish  children  of  na- 


M 


I 

I;  : 


M  i 


■f!i 


it  i 


] 


80 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


ture.     No  doubt,  it  took  them  for  spirits  of 

heaven,  alighting  upon  this  earth ! The 

charm,  did  not,  however,  vanish  for  our  old 
tree  with  this  interesting  era  :  it  must  have 
beheld,  with  untiring  pleasure,  those  events  of 
more  recent  date,  so  glorious  to  religion  and 
humanity,  and  at  times,  those  fearful  accidents 
of  fire  and  warfare !     .     .     .    . 

"  In  fine,  this  worthy  memorial  of  centuries 
past,  which  furnishes  to  all  an  ample  subject  of 
serious  reflection,  has  acquired  a  sacred  right 
to  the  protection  of  the  Monastery.  The  kind- 
est care  is  due  to  its  existence,  and  each  mem- 
ber of  the  community  is,  in  duty,  bound  to 
contribute  in  softening  the  ills  attendant  upon 
its  old  age  !"     .... 


I 


•K* 


a:^- 


CIIAPTER  VIIT. 


ir 


m 


ZEAL  OP  MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE  FOR  THE  SALVATION  OF  ROULf* 
— ARRIVAL  OF  TWO  SISTERS  FROM  THE  URSULINES  OF 
PARIS — SHE  LAYS  THE  FOUNDATION  OF  THE  FIRST  CON- 
VENT— HER  JOURNEY  TO  MONTREAL. 


By  all  that  we  have  hitherto  witnessed  of  the 
heroic  virtues  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  and  her 
faithful  correspondence  with  the  special  grace 
of  her  vocation  to  the  Missions  of  Canada,  we 
may  now  foresee  the  rapid  progress  which  this 
virtuous  lady  afterwards  made  in  perfection 
during  the  thirty-one  years  that  she  lived 
among  the  people  to  whom  her  entire  exist- 
ence had  been  devoted.     In  her  fine  character 

8 


1i 


ii 


jli 


i 


:     t 


82 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE. 


every  Christian  virtue  was  resplendent,  but  one 
particularly  outshone  the  rest ;  this  was  her  un- 
tiring zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  In- 
dians. On  her  arrival  she  had  been  agreeably 
surprised  to  find  such  great  numbers  of  na- 
tives, who  had  been  instructed  by  the 
Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  as  well  as  the 
Franciscans,  but  she  knew  that  multitudes 
were  yet  dispersed  far  and  wide  throughout 
the  country,  who  had  never  given  a  thought  to 
(:Tod,  or  once  bent  the  knee  in  prayer.  These 
hapless  souls  she  burned  to  convert,  and  would, 
in  her  holy  ardor,  have  willingly  traversed 
mountain,  lake,  and  forest,  crying  to  all  that 
there  was  a  God  above,  who  created  them  for 
His  service,  a  Jesus  who  died  to  redeem  them, 
a  paradise  to  reward  the  good,  and  a  hell  to 
punish  the  wicked  !  Tlie  prudence  and  discre- 
tion of  Arme.  de  la  Peltrie,  were,  however,  so 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


83 


great,  that  she  moderated  and  controlled  these 
desh'es  for  two  Avhole  years,  during  which  time 
she  shared  the  labor,  hardships,  and  siiff(irings, 
which  the  Ursulines  had  to  endure  in  the  small 
uncomfortable  dwelling,  which  they  occupied 
until  their  Convent  was  finished  at  Stadacona. 
In  addition  to  the  cold,  and  innumerable 
privations,  these  suiferings  became  intense  for 
such  delicate  ladies  some  months  after  their 
arrival,  when,  to  crown  these  trials,  the 
small-pox  broke  out  among  the  natives,  and 
the  contasrion  reached  the  children  confided  to 
the  nuns.  To  give  our  young  readers  an  idea 
of  the  life  they  led  at  this  period,  I  shall  here 
introduce  another  extract  from  Yen.  Mother's 
Avritings. 

''  All  the  linen  that  our  foundress  had  given 
us  for  our  own  use,  as  well  as  what  our 
Mothers  in  France  had  sent  us,  was  used  up  in 


r  I'. 


■^'^h 


■  f -1 


: 


ii 


H 


,1 

Iff 


i  1 

•f 


84 


LIFE    OF    MADAMK    DE   LA    TJilLTRIK. 


cleansing  and  covering  our  poor  Indians.     It 
is  a  singular  consolation  for  us  to  forego   all 
that  is  necessary  for  ourselves  in  order  to  gain 
souls  to  Christ,  and  we  would  rather  be  desti- 
tute of  all  than  leave  our  little  girls  in  the  in- 
supportable filth  which  they  bring  from  their 
cabins.     When  given  to  us  they  are  as  naked 
as  the  worms  of  the  earth,  and  they  have  to  be 
washed  fiom  head  to  foot,  on  account  of  the 
grease  which  their  parents  put  on  their  whole 
bodies,  and  for  all  our  care  in  frequently  chang- 
ing their  linen  and  clothes,  it  takes  a  great 
while  to  deliver  them  from  the  swarms  of  ver- 
min bred  by  the  grease.     One  sister  devotes 
a  part  of  her  day  to  this.     It  is  a  post  that  all 
eagerly  ambition,  and  she  who  gets  it  deems 
herself  rich  in  the  happy  lot :  those  who  are 
deprived  of  it,  deem  theraselvcs  unworthy  and 
remain  in  humiliation.     Our  foundress  has  ex- 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE.  85 

ercised  it  almost  the  whole  year :  now  Mother 
St.  Joseph  enjoys  this  happiness."* 


*  "  Tout  le  lingo  quo  Mme.  notre  Fondatrico  nous  avait 

donno  pour  nos  usages,  aussi  bien  que  celui  que  nos  Meres 

de  France  nous  avaient  envo}'e,  a  eto  consume  a  nettoyer 

et  a  couvrir  nos  pauvres  sauvages.     Co  nous  est  une  siu- 

guliore  consolation  de  nous  priver  de  tout  ce  qui  nous  est 

necessaire  pour  gagner  des  ames  a  Jesus-Christ,  et  nous 

ai morions  mieux  manquer  do  tout,  que  do  laisser  nos  pe- 

tites  lilies  dans  la  salete  insupportable  qu'elles  apportent 

de  lours  cabanes.     Quand  on  nous  les  donnc,  ellos  sont 

imes  comme  lo  ver  do  terro,  et  il  les  faut  lavor  de  la  tete 

aux  pieds,  a  cause  do  la  graisse  dont  lours  parents  les 

oignent  par  tout  le  corps,  et  quelque  diligence  qu'on  fasso 

et  quoiqu'ou  les  change  souvont  do  lingo  et  d'liabits,  on 

no  pent  de  longtemps  les  delivror  do  I'aboudance  do  ver- 

niino  eausee  par  cette  graisse.     Une  soour  cmploic  une 

partie  du  jour  a  cela.     C'est  une  office  que  chacuue  ambi- 

tionne   avec  empressoment,  cello  qui  romporto,  sV\stime 

riche  d'un  si  heureux  sc%  celles  qui  en  sont  pr'veos  s'en 

8* 


I; 


k 

il 


86 


LIFE    OF    MADAME    DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


;i!. 


:(       I 


r, 


Behold  now  Madame  de  la  Peltrio  and  her 
nuns  vieing  with  each  other  for  an  opportunity 
of  scouring  the  vermin  off  these  poor  filthy  lit- 
tle Indian  girls,  and  then  sharing  with  them 
their  last  morsel  of  bread.  Listen  again  to  the 
Venerable  Mother :  "  Beside  the  girls,  and 
Indian  women  that  we  receive  within  the 
house,  the  men  also  visit  us  at  the  parlor,  and 
we  endeavor  to  show  them  the  same  charity 
with  which  v/e  treat  their  women,  and  it  is  a 
great  comfort  for  us  to  deprive  ourselves  of 
the  last  morsel  of  bread  to  give  it  to  tliese 
poor  peo2:)le,  so  as  to  inspire  them  with  the  love 
of  our  Divine  Lord  and  His  holv  faith." 

To   this   testimony,    we    shall  add    one    of 
venerable  Father  Maguire's  notes. 

estiment  indigues  et  deraourent  dans  riminiliaLiou.  Mn^o. 
notre  Fondatrice  I'a  cxercee  presquo  toute  Fannie,  aujour- 
d'hui,  c'est  la  Mere  St.  Joseph  qui  jouit  do  ce  bouhour." 


If  ^ 


LIFE   OF   MADAME    DE   LA   PELTRIE, 


87 


"  But  it  is  time  to  return  to  our  subject,  and 
say  that  the  way  of  the  Ursulines,  in  this  con- 
fined house,  that  is  in  their  first  liouse  on  the 
quay,  was  one  of  almost  unexampled  jDain  and 
suifering ;  the  total  want  not  only  of  every  kind 
of  comfort,  but  of  provisions,  linen,  and  even 
clothes  ibr  their  owm  use,  amid  Indians  pros- 
trated by  the  horj-ible  and  disgusting  disease 
(small-pox),  cannot  be  described.  But  they 
were  children  of  St.  Ursula  already  become 
saints  by  corresponding  to  the  graces  of  their 
fitate." 

Yes,  we  love  to  repeat  it,  they  Avere  worthy 
daughters  of  St.  Ursula!  Most  unheard  of 
trials  did  not  abate  their  courage  and  fervor, 
and,  for  this  reason,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  re- 
ward them,  by  inspiring  other  sisters  with  the 
noble  emulation  of  sharing  their  labors  and 
imitating   their   virtues.     While    our  fervent 


'  u 


^1 


^ 


•I 


111 


■  H 


I.' 


S8 


I.IPE    OF    MADAME    DE    I- A    PELTRIE. 


inissioners  were  yet  in  France,  we  basv  the  de- 
sire which  the  UrsuUnes  of  Paris  liad  to  take 
part  in  the  foundation  of  the  Convent  in  Que- 
bec. Having,  in  the  course  of  the  following 
year,  obtained  permission  from  the  Archbishop, 
they  selected  two  distinguished  subjects.  Mile. 
de  Flecelles  de  St.  Athanase  and  Mile.  Le 
Buble  de  St.  Claire,  and  sent  them  to  Quebec 
under  the  guidance  of  Father  JVIenard  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus.  The  Convent  of  Paris 
furnished  all  things  necessary  for  the  journey, 
paid  their  travelling  expenses,  and  generously 
settled  on  each  of  them  a  handsome  annuity. 
Great  opposition  arose  on  the  part  of  their  re- 
latives and  friends,  and  they  had  hard  strug- 
gles to  tear  themselves  away  from  all  that  was 
dear  to  them ;  but  at  length  tiieir  con- 
stancy prevailed  over  nature,  and  these  gene- 
rous Sisters  bid  farewell  for  ever,  to  the  com- 


LIFE    OF    MADAME   DK   LA    TELTRIK. 


89 


forts  and  attractions  of  their  native  land,  to  go 
and  live  among  savages  in  a  poor  and  lowly 
dwelling,  subject  to  all  the  privations  attendant 
on  the  most  rigorous  poverty,  exposed  to  the 
intense  cold  during  the  long  Canadian  winter^ 
and  in  constant  danger  of  being  massacred  by 
the  barbarous  Iroquois. 

But  such  was  their  zeal  for  extending  the 
glory  of  God,  and  aiding  in  the  salvation  of 
souls,  that  all  these  sacrifices  did  not  call  forth 
one  sigh !  These  pious  ladies  embarked  at 
Dieppe,  with  two  Hospitalnuns  for  the  Hotel- 
Dieu,  on  board  a  vessel  whose  auspicious  name, 
L'Esperance,  seemed  to  promise  all  things  de- 
sirable for  travellers.  However,  trials  were 
before  them.  Shortly  after  their  embarkation, 
and  while  yet  in  view  of  port,  an  awful  storm 
arose ;  another  vessel  just  beside  them  was 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks,  and  of  one  bun- 


m 


ii 


00 


UFK    OF    MAPAMK    1)K    I.A    PELTUIE. 


f 


',1 

I 
ill 


j 


!   1', 


<lred  and  twenty  passengers  on  board,  only 
three  lives  were  saved,  l^iit  our  pious  sisters 
did  not  lose  their  confidence  in  God,  and  those 
delicate  ladies,  who,  in  an  excursion  of  pleasure 
often  trembled  in  a  bark  on  their  own  unruf- 
fled river  Seine,  were  now  calm  and  unmoved, 
thougli  surrounded  by  danger  and  exposed  to 
evident  destruction. 

"  I  know  not,''  says  Father  Menard,  "  if  in  this 
century,  any  one  has  seen  ships  tossed  about  so 
long  in  view  of  port,  or  beaten  by  such  furious 
winds !  Yet,  as  this  tempest  prevented  us 
from  leaving  port,  it  also  protected  us  against 
the  enemy's  frigates  who  had  been  watching 
our  departure,  for  it  appears  that  if  we  had 
raised  anchor  one  day  earlier,  we  should  have 
all  been  captured.  As  soon  as  we  were  at 
large,  the  wind  favored  us  all  the  time,  and  the 
piety  and  devotion  of  all  on  board  were  very 


LIFE    OF    MADAME    I>E    LA    PKLTUIK. 


91 


remaikable.  On  the  Feast  of  Corpns-Christi^ 
we  raised  a  sploiidkl  altar  iu  our  admiral's 
cabin ;  all  hands  joined  to  adorn  a  magnificent 
^  Repository '  at  the  prow  of  the  vessel,  and 
our  Lord,  who  was  pleased  to  receive  our  hum- 
ble adorations  on  the  watery  element,  gave  us 
a  cahn  and  beautiful  day.  We  made  a  solemn 
procession  around  the  vessel  in  perfect  order. 
Our  brother,  Dominic  Scott,  in  surplice,  car- 
ried the  cross.  At  his  side  were  two  young 
midshipinen,  then  followed  the  Ursulines  and 
riospitalioies,  with  angelic  modesty,  bearing 
lighted  tapers.  After  the  priest  who  carried 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  marched  the  admiral, 
then  the  officers  and  crew  ;  the  sea  and  air 
re-echoed  to  the  roaring  of  our  cannon,  while 
heavenly  spirits  invisibly  joined  in  the  praises, 
which,  from  our  hearts,  were  poured  forth  in 
presence  of  our  sovereign  King."     At  length, 


iV*?;. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


r 


A 


A 


4. 


k  /S^^ 
^  <^^.^ 


1.0 


1.1 


IM    12.5 


■  50 


K 


1^  1^    12.2 
1*0    111112.0 


1.8 


L25  i^  l^ 


6" 


V] 


7] 


7: 


e^ 


^5 


y 


/^ 


Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS 80 

(716)  872-4503 


4^  ^ 


^^ 


J  ■' 
^1  I 


I 


I  6  Sill :  :fi 


V    I 


92 


LIFE  OP  madamp:  i)e  la  peltrif. 


our  pious  travellers  reached  this  Port  of  Que- 
bec in  safety.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1640,  the 
Chevalier  de  Montmagny,  Gov.-General,  accom- 
panied by  the  officers  of  his  staff,  went  to  re- 
ceive them  on  landing,  and  presented  them  to 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  who  had  also  gone  forth 
to  meet  them  with  her  little  Indians.  After 
the  first  joyful  salutation,  they  were  conducted 
to  the  little  log  chapel  of  the  Ursulines,  where 
a  hymn  of  thanksgiving  was  sung  by  all  pre- 
sent; then  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  took  them  to 
the  Castle  of  St.  Louis,  where  the  Governor 
and  principal  citizens  were  assembled  to  com- 
pliment them  on  their  safe  arrival.  After  this 
visit,  the  happy  foundress  led  back  her  new 
sisters  to  the  poor  habitation  occupied  by  her- 
self and  the  other  nuns.  Here  they  found 
plenty  of  labor,  and,  having  soon  acquired  from 
the  Venerable  Mother,  a  practical  knowledge 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTKIE. 


93 


of  the  Algonquin  and  Huron  languages,  they 
rendered  much  service  to  the  community  by 
their  success  in  teaching  and  their  exem- 
plary lives.  It  will,  no  doubt,  gratify  our 
young  readers,  to  find  here  some  fragments  of 
the  letter  in  which  Kev.  Father  Menard,  their 
guardian  angel  during  the  voyage,  renders  an 
account  of  them  to  their  Rev.  Mother  the  Su- 
perior of  the  Ursulincs  in  Paris. 


"  My  Reverend  Mother, 

"  This  letter  is  due  to  you  in  virtue  of  the 

charge  I  had  of  your  sisters.     I  am  desirous 

you  should  know  that  I  so  much  value  this 

privilege   that   I   place   it   among  the  special 

graces    by  which   our   Lord    has   drawn   me 

most    efficaciously    to    himself.      I    did    not 

expect  that  in  a  sex  so   delicate,   in  an  age 

yet  so  youthful,  and  in  times  so  degenerate  as 

9 


I 

.1, 


:    ( 


111 


94 


LITE   OF   MADA^ri:   DE   LA    PEI/IRIE. 


ours,  there  could  be  found  liearts  so  generous 
and  ardent  for  perfection.  Their  example  has 
covered  me  with  confusion !     .     .     .     . 

"  Perhaps  they  will  confidentially  acknow- 
ledge to  you  as  to  their  Mother,  the  sufferings 
they  endured  on  the  passage.  As  to  rae, 
though  I  tried  to  render  myself  as  free  as  pos- 
sible, I  could  not  perceive  anything,  and  many 
have  been  deceived  by  their  exterior  so  un- 
changeably gay,  that  I  took  them  to  be  as 
healthy  as  myself  through  ignorance,  not 
knowing  how  to  discern  between  the  opera- 
tions of  nature  and  grace.  For  this  reason  I 
may  have  shown  less  compassion  to  them  than 
to  the  Hospital  sisters  who  w^ere  much 
more  sensibly  incommoded  than  they,  by  the 
bad  weather  and  the  agitation  of  the  vessel. 
I  will  therefore  bring  them  into  port  in  the 
same  state  of  health  as  they  were  confided  to 


LIFE  OF    MADAME    DE   LA    rELTRIE. 


95 


:l  I 


inc.  their  ominciit  dei>Tee  of  virtue  beinc:  suffi- 
cie!it  to  supply  tor  bodily  weakness.  We  lived 
together  like  brother  and  sister,  with  this  ex- 
ception only  that  they  treated  me  with  much 
more  deference  than  I  should  have  found  de- 
sirable or  reasonable,  as  I  felt  rather  like  a 
companion  than  a  superior  as  they  forced  me 
to  be,  seeking  in  all  things  my  approbation 
with  a  degree  of  submission  that  confounded 
me.  In  all  things  else  nothing  could  surpass 
the  sweetness  of  our  pious  interviews  and 
exercises  of  devotion  which  we  discharged 
throughout." 

A  little  further,  he  adds :  "  We  cast  anchor 
at  Bonaventure  Isle,  for  the  first  time,  on  the 
1 9th  of  June ;  there  I  availed  myself  of  the 
opportunity  of  discharging  a  vow  which  I  had 
made  to  the  glorious  St.  Joseph  to  celebrate 
Mass  in  his  honor,  as  soon  as  I  should  land  on 


, 


96 


LIFE    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


I    IJ 


iiii  ' 


i'i; 


M 


II 


'      I 


'«! 


il 


I 


the  shores  of  Canada.  The  day  was  Hm".  and 
pleasant,  a  circumstance  that  made  me  enjoy 
exceedingly  the  charms  of  nature,  then  bloom- 
ing in  all  the  beauty  of  spring,  while  the  night- 
ingale's song  resounded  through  the  green  cedar 
and  pine  woods,  as  sweetly  as  in  our  own  na- 
tive groves  of  old  France.  Our  sisters  did  not 
feel  courage  enough  to  follow  me,  or,  I  should 
rather  say,  they  were  not  quite  so  portable  as 
myself  in  such  a  light  skiff.  While  on  shore, 
after  satisfying  my  own  private  devotion,  I 
made  for  them  a  collection  of  all  the  beautiful 
flowers  and  rare  plants  that  I  could  find  in  the 
surrounding  woods,  so  as  to  furnish  them  with 
a  new  subject  for  admiring  and  praising  the  in- 
finite goodness  of  God,  so  liberal  towards  poor 
savages  who  never  loved  Him.  The  currants, 
strawberries,  and  raspbernes  seemed  more 
beautiful  than  in  France  :  nothing  was  wanting 


LIF^E    OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


97 


to  our  enjoyment  that  day,  save  the  presence 
of  a  few  Indians,  and  it  pleased  Divine  Provi- 
dence to  give  us  that  consolation  also.  They 
came  to  us  in  their  light  canoes,  and  seemed 
quite  friendly,  and  much  less  barbarous  than 
they  are  represented  to  us  in  France.  It  is 
true  that,  at  first  sight,  there  is  something  re- 
volting in  their  dark  complexion  and  black  oily 
hair,  and  above  all,  in  their  nakedness ;  for 
the  skins,  which  cover  only  about  half  their 
bodies,  are  not  sufficient  to  protect  them  from 
the  cold  in  the  winter  and  the  flies  in  the  sum- 
mer. We  made  them  form  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  we  found  that  they  were  not  with- 
out some  knowledge  of  Christianity."  .  .  . 
In  the  course  of  the  following  year,  1641 — 
all  the  materials  being  prepared  for  the  build- 
of  the  new  convent,  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  being 

satisfied  with  the  workmen  whom  Mr.  de  Ber- 

9* 


i  i 


f" 


98 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


a 


1!i 


'4 


iHi;; 


nieres  had  sent  her  from  Franco,  she  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  first  building  raised  in  Cana- 
da by  the  Ursulines. 

About  this  time  the  arrival  of  Mile.  Manse 
and  Mr.  de  Maisonneuve  caused  some  excite- 
ment in  the  colony,  as  they  were  going  to 
raise  new  establishments  in  Montreal,  so  as  to 
forward  the  conversion  of  the  Indians.  This 
was  more  than  sufficient  to  excite  the  ardent 
and  somewhat  chivalrous  zeal  of  a  descendant 
of  chevaliers !  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  therefore, 
manifested  great  interest  in  these  enterprises, 
and  even  went  to  Montreal,  where,  as  the 
chronicle  adds,  she  had  evervthinGr  in  readi- 
ness  to  go  to  the  Huron  mission  of  St.  Josei3h, 
had  not  a  Jesuit  Father  from  these  parts  dis- 
suaded her  from  so  doing,  by  making  known 
to  her  the  countless  perils  attendant  on  such  a 
journey. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE  llETUUNS  TO  QUEBEC — JOYFUL  RE- 
CEPTION AT  HOME — VIRTUES  OF  OBEDIENCE  AND  PO- 
VERTY WHICH  SHE  PRACTISES  IN  THE  URSULINE  CON- 
VENT. 

As  we  have  just  seen,  Mme.  de  la  Pel  trie  left 
Quebec  for  some  time  to  try  and  extend  her 
Mission  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  country.  This 
she  did  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  all  her 
friends.  From  Montreal,  she  wrote  most 
affectionate  letters  to  her  ever-dea,  isters, 
assuring  them  that  she  only  wished  to  extend 
the  Ursuline  Order.  This  was,  however,  not 
desirable  at  that  period,  and  her  Venerable 
friend.  Mother   de  L'Incarnation,  as  well   as 


I 


Hi! 


it 


fi 


i 

1 1 


100        LIFE   OF    MADAME   DK    LA    PELTKIE. 

the  Jesuit  Fathers,  and  the  Governor-General, 
could  not  be  reconciled  to  her  absence  from 
the  capital,  where  her  virtues  had  given  the 
highest  edification,  as  we  see  by  all  the  old 
manuscripts  of  the  times.  Alluding  to  the 
public  devotions,  in  which  she  always  took  an 
edifying  part,  the  Venerable  Mother,  writing 
to  France  during  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie's  absence, 
observes :  "  Our  foundress  usually  took  our 
pupils  to  the  procession  and  w^ent  at  the  head 
of  the  w^omen  and  Indian  girls,  after  which  we 
prepared  a  banquet  for  them ;  now  that  she 
has  left  us  she  is  deprived  of  that  conso- 
lation."* 


.1 


*  "  Mme.  notre  Fondatrice  avait  coutume  de  conduire 
nos  S6minaristes  aux  processions  et  de  marcher  4  la  t^te 
des  femmes  et  des  filles  sauvages,  apr^s  quoi,  nous  leur 
preparions  un  Festin ;  arijourd'hui,  qu'elle  est  eloignee  de 
nous,  elle  est  privee  de  cette  consolation!" 


LIFE    OF    MADAMK    DK    LA    I'KLTUJIC.         101 


The  poor  Indians,  as  well  aa  the  nnns,  wero 
inconsolable  ;  all  therefore  joined  to  solicit  her 
return.  Mine,  de  la  Peltrie  at  lenurth  under- 
stood  by  all  these  circunnstances,  tliat  God  did 
not  require  of  her  this  new  sacrifice,  and  that 
she  could  contribute  more  effectually  and 
securely  by  devoting  lierself  anew  to  the  duties 
which  she  so  nobly  discharged  in  the  institu- 
tion that  owed  its  existence  to  her  generosity. 
Thus  persuaded  that  her  own  important  under- 
taking in  Quebec  was  more  worthy  of  her 
own  undivided  attention  and  affections,  she 
returned  to  her  own  house,  where  she  was  re- 
ceived by  the  nuns  and  the  children  with 
transports  of  joy. 

From  that  moment  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  em- 
braced  as^ain  the  rules  and  restraints  of  the 
cloister,  observing  them  with  the  utmost 
punctuality  for  the  space  of  twenty-nine  years, 


102         I.IFK    OF    MADAME    DK    LA    PKI/rKli:. 


that  is  to  say,  until  her  death,  though  she 
refused,  tliroui^-h  liuinilitv,  to  wear  the  Ijabit  of 
the  order,  saying  tliat  she  was  not  wortliy  to 
appear  in  the  garments  worn  by  the  eonse- 
crated  spouses  of  Jesus  Christ.  Though  the 
Venerable  Mother  tried  on  all  occasions  to 
make  her  spare  herself,  yet  she  w\as  ever  the 
iirst  to  seek  the  most  humiliatino;  and  labori- 

CD 

ous  employments.  We  have  seen  how  she 
scoured  and  washed  the  little  savages,  and 
made  their  clothing,  but  it  \vould  fill  a  volume 
to  detail  the  various  services  which  the  noble- 
hearted  widow  rendered  each  day,  both  to  the 
parents  who  daily  frequented  the  parlor,  and 
to  the  children  who  were  constantly  with  the 
nuns,  and  required  their  care  and  attention 
botli  in  sickness  and  in  health.  The  number 
of  Indians  instructed  by  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie 
and  her  nuns  would  seem  incredible  to  our 


ir 


r.iFi-:  OF  MA  DA. mi:  dk  la  i'i:i/ji:n<:.      10.? 


niodeni  comprchonsioiis,  if  it  were  not  so 
[>l:iinly  attested  by  tiie  writings  of  the  Vene- 
rable Mother,  which  bear  the  seal  of  lii.storic 
veracity,  and  whose  antliority  lias  been  ac- 
knowledged by  every  judicious  writer  in 
Canada  since  the  days  of  Citarlevoix.  The 
Venerable  INFother  says  :  "  I  have  not  lost  my 
pains  in  studying  a  foreign  and  barbarous 
language,  which  has  now  become  to  me  so 
easy,  that  I  have  not  the  slightest  trouble  in 
teaching  the  holy  mysteries  of  the  faith  to  our 
neophytes.  We  have  had  this  year  a  large 
number,  more  than  fifty  scholars,  besides  above 
seven  hundred  visits  of  passing  Indians,  all  of 
whom  we  assisted  both  spiritually  and  corpo- 
rally. As  to  the  extension  of  Christianity,  here 
are  three  nations  who  have  come  to  settle 
permanently  at  Sillery,  and  whose  daughters 
are  to  be  sent  to  our  seminary."  .  .  .    And 


104        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTEIE. 


fflf 


again,  she  says  :  "  Mother  St.  Joseph  is  study- 
ing the  Huron  language,  in  which  she  succeeds 
very  well,  we  are,  however,  still  more  in  need 
of  the  Algonquin." 

We  have  before  observed  that  Muie.  de  la 
Peltrie  was,  in  all  things,  perfectly  faithful  to 
the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Convent,  but 
the  inward  submission  of  her  will  and  judg- 
ment were  still  more  remarkable  than  her  ex- 
terior punctuality.  Of  this  fact,  one  example 
will  fully  convince  our  young  readers.  Desir- 
ous to  render  her  virtues  more  perfect,  she  at 
one  time  resolved  to  renounce  the  privilege 
which  she  had  enjoyed  of  assisting,  at  the  head 
of  the  Indian  women  and  children,  at  the  pub- 
lic processions ;  also,  that  of  going  out  of  the 
cloister  sometimes,  to  visit  the  Indian  chapels, 
as  well  as  the  Castle  of  St.  Louis,  when  the 
state  of  her  affairs  required  it.     Actuated  by 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.         105 


this  desire,  she  went  to  throw  herself  at  the 
feet  of  the  Venerable  Mother,  beside  her  own 
waiting- maid,  Miss  Barre,  on  the  day  upon 
which  the  latter  went  to  receive  the  Superior's 
blessing-  before  entering  the  noviciate.  Sur- 
prised and  moved  at  so  touching  a  sight,  the 
Venerable  Mother  de  L'lncarnation  burst  into 
tears,  and,  raising  our  virtuous  foundress 
from  the  ground,  she  exclaimed  :  "  We  know, 
Madame,  that  you  are  all  ours,  but,  for  the 
sake  of  our  dear  Indians,  you  must  not  re- 
linquish your  visits  among  them,  nor  change 
the  modest  becoming  dress  in  which  they  first 
beheld  you.'-  Without  one  word  of  objection, 
this  admirable  ladv  submitted  to  the  decision 
of  her  dear  friend,  and  returned,  like  a  gentle 
child,  to  her  usual  occupations  This  perfect 
abnegation   of  self  appeared   in   all    things ; 

when  any  general  duty  was  to  be  fulfilled,  or 

10 


I  !' 


.♦'   >lil 


106        LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA   PELTIIIE. 


any  particular  order  given  by  the  Superiors, 
all  the  otlier  members  of  the  Community  felt 
encouraged  to  obey  on  seeing  the  good  grace 
with  which  their  respected  foundress  per- 
formed these  actions.  During  all  hours  in  the 
day,  from  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
nine  at  night,  she  was  so  exact  to  the  exercises 
prescribed,  that  no  one  else  could  get  to  the 
chapel  for  prayer,  or  elsewhere  for  employ- 
ment, before  her ;  and  a  tradition  of  our 
ancient  Mothers  informs  us,  that  "  the  regulai- 
observances  were  never  so  punctually  an- 
nounced, as  while  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  had  carc^ 
of  rinc^ini?  the  Convent  bell !" 

Her  love  of  religious  poverty  was  also  very 
great.  On  her  arrival  in  Canada,  seeing  the 
extreme  destitution  of  the  churches  and  cha- 
pels, she  sacrificed  all  her  silk,  velvet,  and  satin 
dresses,  to  make  vestments  for  the  clergy,  and 


LIFE    OF    MADAME   DE    LA    PELTRIE.         107 

antependiums,  <fec.,  for  the  altars,  as  also  every 
article  which  she  possessed  of  Valenciennes 
lace,  lawn,  and  fine  linen,  and  made  a  solemn 
promise  to  wear  nothing  but  the  coarsest  kind 
of  linen  and  woollen  clothing.  Having  ob- 
tained permission  of  the  Venerable  Mother  to 
take  care  of  the  nuns'  undergarments,  she 
waited  upon  them  like  a  faithful  servant  for 
the  space  of  eighteen  years ;  and  as  the 
amiable  foundress  went,  at  the  end  of  each 
week,  to  bring  them  their  clean  linen,  she  pre- 
sented it  with  the  most  charming  politeness, 
making  her  humble  apology  when  these  things 
did  not  appear  to  her  as  comfortable  as  she 
wished  them  to  be.  Every  destitute  being 
that  presented  himself  before  her,  brought 
vividly  to  her  mind  the  sacred  person  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  never  did  she  esteem  herself  so 
happy  as  when  she  could  render  some  assist- 


I 


IT" 


108        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


'j  li 


III: 


1 1   ,!i 


\.      ' 


If    I 


I'M:! 

Ki: 
t 
It 
'I 


HisIik 


^^■ii 


mice  to  those  whom  she  saw  unpitied  or  de- 
spised by  the  world.  One  day  some  gentle 
reproach  having  been  made  to  her  about 
wearing  such  old  and  patched  clothing,  and 
the  person  who  addressed  her  having  added 
that,  "these  things  would  do  better  for  the 
poor."  "For  the  poor,"  she  exclaimed,  "ah! 
if  it  were  in  my  power,  I  would  give  them  all 
new  clothing."  The  absolute  poverty  to  which 
this  generous  lady  reduced  herself,  would  not 
be  understood  even  by  the  nuns  themselves 
at  the  present  day,  if  ancient  documents  did 
not  exist  in  our  archives  to  prove  it  beyond  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt.  Her  inventory  alone, 
which  we  here  place  before  our  young  readers, 
will  suffice  to  convince  them   of  the  truth  of 


our  assertion. 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        109 


INVENTORY  OF  MADAME  DE  LA  PELTRIE. 


On  the  25th  of  November,  1G71,  the  Sieur  de  Lotbi- 
ni^re,  with  several  other  crown  officers,  came  to  the  Con- 
vent, to  take,  according  to  the  French  laws  of  the  time. 
an  inventory  of  the  clothing,  and  various  other  movables 
appertaining  to  the  deceavsed  foundress.  After  enume- 
rating a  few  remnants  of  fustian,  linen,  &c.,  found  in  a 
small  wardrobe,  they  go  on,  naming  various  articles  of 
clothing  and  light  furniture,  so  poor  and  humble  that  it  is 
really  astonishing  to  us  how  so  rich  and  noble  a  lady  could 
accommodate  herself: 

A  mantle  of  serge  d'Aumale. 

A  dress  of  serge  de  Caen. 

Two  old  serge  aprons. 

Three  old  silk  caps. 

One  old  velvet  cap. 

One  old  delaine  cap. 

Three  pairs  of  old  woollen  stockings. 

Two  pairs  of  thread  stockings. 

One  old  cape. 

10* 


\m\ 


110        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIK. 

Three  pairs  of  old  slippers. 

One  pair  of  corded  shoes. 

In  her  room  were  also  found  a  plain  wooden  bedstead, 
Btraw  bed,  small  mattress,  white  quilt,  and  a  few  yards  of 
fustian,  seiving' as  summer  curtains.     

A  straw-bo tiomed  chair. 

A  stool  of  the  same  kind. 

■■•  f. 

An  under  skirt,  and  an  old  cloth  mantle. 

A  plain  wooden  table,  upon  which  were  found  two 
books,  viz.  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  for  the  whole  year, 
and  a  Selection  of  Meditations. 

Two  candlesticks,  one  tin,  the  other  wood. 

In  another  press  were  found — 

One  serge  apron,  two  pairs  of  stockings,  and  one  little 
writing-desk. 

Four  plain  engravings  on  paper. 

A  crucifix  painted  on  wood. 

A  box,  in  which  were  found  twenty-eight  letters  ad- 
dressed to  Mmo.  de  la  Peltrie  from  France. 

Let  us  now  compare  this  admirable  exposi- 
tion of  religious  poverty,  with  the  first  advances 


i!  f' 


LIFE    OF    MADAME    DE   LA    PELTIIIK.         Ill 


idstead, 
yards  of 


nd  two 
>le  year, 


ne  little 


made  by  the  noble  foundress,  previous  to  her 
leaving  France,  thirty-one  years  before  her 
death!  Writing  from  Paris,  to  a  friend  at 
Tours,  on  the  26th  February,  1630,  the  Vene- 
rable Mother  says :  "  What  shall  I  say  of 
Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  ?  Her  goodness  confuses 
me  exceedingly !  She  is  an  admirable  Mother 
who  spares  no  expense  for  us  ;  I  fear  she  will  go 
too  far,  and  I  beg  you  will  write  to  her  on  the 
subject  !"*  Do  we  not  here  see  the  virtues  of 
this  illustrious  lady  increase  with  her  years  ? 
In  France  she  required  the  interference  of  her 
friends,  to  prevent  her  from  exceeding  in  gene- 
rosity ;  iu  Canada,  her  house,  her  food,  her 


ters  ad- 


sxposi- 
/ances 


*  Que  dirais-je  de  Madame  de  la  Peltrie  ?  Elle  me  met 
dans  de  continuelles  confusions,  par  ses  bontes  en  mon  on- 
droit.  Cost  uno  Mere  admirable  qui  n'epargne  aucun*^ 
depense  a  notre  sujet ;  je  crains  qu'elle  n'y  excede,  et  je 
vous  prie  de  lui  en  ecriro. 


i! 

1 

112        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTKIE. 

elothing  were  common  property,  and  she  her- 

i 


it 


! 


I  l]l>' 


.1  '- 


telf  was  reduced  to  receive  alms ! 

Oh  1   beauteous  flower  of  old  France,  your 
fragrance  yet  perfumes  our  western  wilds ! 


H|!ii'  "I 

If  f 


■^'!-^ 


.»&^^ 


CHAPTER  X. 


BURNING  OP  THE  FIRST  CONVENT  IN  1650,  AND  OTHER 
SEVERE  TRIALS — HUMILITY,  CHARITY,  AND  SELF-DENIAI. 
OF  MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE — DEATH  OF  REV.  MOTHER  ST. 
JOSEPH. 

The  love  of  privations  and  suffering  being  a 
natural  consequence  of  the  fervent  practice  of 
religious  poverty,  we  will  not  be  surprised  to 
find  that  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  excelled  also  in 
this  perfection,  and  to  prove  to  our  young  read- 
ers, that  she  found  in  Canada  abundant  means 
of  gratifying  this  dear  affection  of  her  heart. 


rr 


It 


114 


LIFE   OF    MADAME   DK   LA    PELTRIK. 


I 


J  ;: 


ii-li, 


I 


i. 


'I   '^'m 


i 


we  will  here  insert  an  account  of  the  fire  which 
destroyed  the  Convent  in  1650,  as  it  so  parti- 
cularly refers  to  one  of  the  most  trying  periods 
of  her  life 

The  ;JOth  of  December,  1650,  was  a  day  of 
deep  mourning  for  the  IJrsulines  of  Quebec, 
as  they  saw  their  first  Monastery  cease,  as  it 
were,  to  exist.  Some  hot  embers  having  been 
left  in  a  fire-pan  to  heat  the  dough  prepared 
by  a  sister  for  baking,  w^ere  unfortunately 
forgotten  there,  while  the  whole  community 
retired  to  rest,  as  usual  about  nine  o'clock. 
Shortly  afler,  the  dough-trough  took  fire^ 
then  the  flames  spread  through  the  bakehouse, 
which  was  situated  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  building,  beneath  our  present  refectory. 
In  a  few  moment  the  conflagration  spread,  and 
reduced  the  whole  house  to  ashes. 

The  only  things  that  could  be  saved  were  a 


LIFE    OF    MADAME   J)E    LA    PELTKIE.         115 

few  articles  belonging  to  the  sacristy,  and 
some  important  papers  of  the  community 
which  the  Venerable  Mother  threw  out  of  a 
Avindow.  Tiie  nuns  only  saved  themselves  by 
running  out  of  the  house  half-dressed,  without 
shoes  or  stockings,  and  the  children,  particu- 
larly the  little  Indian  girls,  were  almost  naked. 
A  Huron  woman  (Cecile  Archatsi)  threw  her- 
self out  of  a  window  in  the  upper  story  with- 
out sustaining  any  serious  injury  from  so 
dangerous  a  fall  upon  the  ice.  All  their  pro- 
visions laid  up  in  the  fall,  as  well  as  those 
received  from  France,  were  totally  destroyed 
in  the  cellars,  as  these  were  not  vaulted.  But 
to  understand  more  clearly  the  state  of  desti- 
tution to  which  the  inmates  of  the  Convent 
were,  by  this  accident,  reduced,  we  must 
hear  the  simple  and  touching  narrative  written 
by  the  Venerable  Mother  herself,  who  seem« 


ii 


J' 


M 


li^ 


I   -Ml 


ill 


MG         LIFE    OF    MADAME   I)E    LA    Plan  KIM 


to  have  forgotton  her  own  sufferings  on  be 


holding  tliose  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie. 


"  If  the  letters  which  we  sent  by  tlie  way  of 
N"ew  England,  and  by  the  fishermen,  were 
handed  to  you,  you  have  been  ah'eady  in- 
formed that  the  hand  of  God  has  visited 
us,  and  reduced  us  to  the  last  extremity,  as  I 
will  now  relate.  On  Friday,  in  the  octave  of 
the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  a  lay  sister-novice, 
liaving  put  into  the  dough-trough  a  firepan 
filled  with  burning  coals  to  raise  it  sufficiently 
ibr  baking  in  the  morning,  forgot  to  withdraw 
it  before  she  left  at  night,  so  that  the  fire  soon 
(Spread  all  over  the  bakehouse.  About  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  one  of  our  sisters,  who  slept 
with  the  oldest  of  the  children  in  the  apart- 
ment just  over  the  bakehouse,  was  suddenly 
startled  l>y  the  crackling  noise  of  the  flames  as 


LIFE   OF    MADAME    DE   LA    PELTRIE.         117 


they  increased  and  spread.     Greatly  alarmed, 
she  rang  the  bell,  and  i\iiw  wp  to  the  dormi- 
tory, crying  aloud,  "'Sauvez-vous!"   Fly!     It 
was,  indeed,  time   to  mako  our  escape  ;    we 
break  down  the  grates,  try  to  save  tlin  child- 
ren,  but  not  without  imminent  danger  to  our- 
selves ;  we  all  pass  through  the  sacristy  (at  the 
south  end  of  the  house)  the  flames  having  in- 
vaded every  other  avenue.    I  had  a  wish  to 
go  up  to  our  little  depot,  or  magazine,  and 
throw  out  some  articles  of  clothing,  as  I  fore- 
saw that   several   of  our  poor  sisters  would 
have  to  fly  out  of  the  house  half  dressed,  but 
our  good  God,  wishing  to  spare  my  life,  deter- 
red me  from  so  doing,  by  giving  me  another 
thought — that   of  saving  the    papers   oi  the 
community,  and  I  ran  to  secure  them.    Though 
the  danger  was  not  so  great  in  that  direction, 

I  had,  however,  a  fire  on  each  side,  and  one 

11 


I 


118       LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


n  l'-'^:' 


u.. 


behind  me.  In  this  extreme  peril  I  made  an 
inclination  to  my  crucifix,  and  abandoned  my- 
self to  the  divine  will.  The  Reverend  Father 
Superior  of  your  house,  and  all  your  Reverend 
Fathers,  threw  themselves  into  the  chapel,  car- 
ried away  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  saved 
the  greater  part  of  the  things  which  were  in 
the  sacristy  :  one  of  your  brothers  nearly  lost 
his  life  in  the  flames.  As  soon  as  I  completed 
my  escape,  I  found  all  my  poor  sisters  half- 
naked  on  the  snow,  which,  at  this  season,  is 
very  deep  ;  praying  to  Heaven  there,  they  be- 
held this  trial,  with  as  much  calm  resignation, 
as  if  the  misfortune  did  not  at  all  concern 
them.  For  this  reason  several  persons  pre- 
sent, who  were  greatly  affected  at  the  sight  of 
this  awful  distress,  exclaimed  that  our  sisters 
had  either  lost  their  senses,  or  were  altogether 
transported  by  the  love  of  God.    I  assure  you, 


i,;i:i|ii 


LIFE   OP  MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        119 


Reverend  Father,  that  we  never  felt  so  pow- 
erful an  effect  of  grace  as  we  did  at  that  try- 
ing hour,  in  which  we  were,  in  a  few  minutes, 
deprived  of  all  that  we  possessed  in  this  world. 
Clothing,  provisions,  furniture,  house,  all  was 
consumed  in  the  space  of  a  few  hours!  .  .  . 
But,  ah !  what  would  have  been  your  feelings 
had  you  seen  our  foundress,  Mme.  de  la  Pel- 
trie,  so  delicate,  so  sensible  to  the  cold,  stand- 
ing barefoot  on  the  ice,  without  any  other  co- 
vering but  a  light  tunic !  .  .  .  The  night 
was  clear,  the  heavens  spangled  with  stars, 
and  the  frost  intense.  It  was  not  windy,  but 
as  the  fire  progressed  a  slight  wind  arose,  that 
threw  back  the  flames  towards  the  gardens 
and  fields.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  your  col- 
lege, the  fort,  and  neighboring  buildings  would 
have  been  enveloped  in  our  ruin,  as  the  sparks 
were  carried  to  a  great  distance  by  the  vehe- 


■■H 


mii'v' 


;ii 


120        LIFE  OF   MADAME  VE  LA   PELTKIE". 

r 

mence  of  the  flames.    Fire  was  found  in  the 
ruins  six  weeks  after  the  burning^.    But,  Jet  us 
return  to  our  poor  sisters.     Our  good  Mother 
Superior,  St.  Athanase,  not  seeing  us  all  at 
the  beginning,  suffered  an  agony  of  death ; 
fearing  that  some  of  us  might  be  buried  in  the 
flames,  she  threw  herself  on  the  snow  at  the 
feet  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  made  a  vow  in 
honor  of  her  Immaculate  Conception.    As  for 
me,  I  attribute  to  a  signal  miracle  that  not 
one  of  ourselves  or  our  boarders  w^as  injured 
by  a  fire  so  violent,  and  so  sudden !     A  Hu- 
ron woman,  w^ho  is  a  fervent  Christian,  not 
having  been  awakened  as  soon  as.  the  rest, 
and  finding  herself  surrounded  by  the  flames, 
threw  herself  out  of  one  of  the  upper  win- 
dows, and  remained  as  it  were  lifeless  on  the 
bare  ice,   but   she   afterwards    came  to  her 
senses,  and  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  restore  her 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        121 


to  US.  Our  little  boarders  were  beside  us,  in 
their  night-gowns,  on  the  snow,  almost  dead 
with  cold,  and  some  ot  them  have  since  been 
very  ill.  We  had  some  clothing  and  other 
necessaries  for  our  Indian  scholars,  the  fire  has 
robbed  us  of  all,  and  reduced  us  like  good  Job, 
even  to  the  dunghill,  with  this  difference,  how- 
ever, that  all  our  dear  friends,  both  French 
and  Indians,  were  moved  with  extreme  com- 
passion, a  merciful  consolation  of  which  holy 
Job  w^as  deprived.  The  Reverend  Mothers 
of  the  Hotel-Dieu,  hearing  of  our  disaster, 
sent  for  us  to  go  and  stay  with  them.  Your 
Reverend  Fathers  conducted  us  there ;  on 
seeing  us  in  so  pitiful  a  state,  they  shed  abun- 
dant tears,  and  clothed  us  with  their  grey 
habits,  giving  us  all  they  could,  with  the  most 
admirable  cordiality,  for,  having  nothing,  we 

were  in  want  of  all  things.    We  spent  three 

11* 


p^^ 


;• 


122        LIFE   OF  MADAME   I>E  LA   TELTRIE. 


\Im- 


1  ^ 

'  i 

.' 

i 

; 

1 

j;  1 

;! 

^^1 


1 1 


ill 


weeks  in  their  house,  fifteen  persons,  as  we 
were,  sitting  at  their  table,  living  like  them- 
Belves,  and  performing  tlie  same  exercises. 
The  day  after  the  fire,  the  Governor,  Mr, 
d'Aillebont,  and  yonr  Reverend  Father,  took 
lis  to  see  these  desolate  ruins,  or  rather  this 
vast  furnace,  which  we  could  not  venture  to 
approach,  the  chimneys  having  been  thrown 
down,  and  the  walls  all  cracked.  To  build 
on  these  ruins,  appeared  a  thing  impossible, 
all  having  been  destroyed  to  the  very  founda- 
tion. Besides  this,  we  had  nothing,  and  all 
our  funds  did  not  seem  sufficient  to  cover  the 
expenses  of  a  new  building.  Our  friends, 
therefore,  thought  that  we  would  decide  upon 
returning  to  France,  after  these  immense 
losses ;  but  each  of  us  was  so  strengtliened  in 
her  vocation,  by  an  extraordinary  effect  of 
grace,  that  not  one  showed  the  least  desire  of 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DK   LA   TELTUIE.        123 


returning  to  her  native  country.  .  ,  .  This 
Jill  opted  land  of  Canada,  furnishes  us  with 
abundant  em[)loynient  for  tlio  instruction  of 
the  young  French  and  Indian  girls,  and  >vlien 
the  people  became  aware  of  our  resolution  to 
stay,  they  expressed  to  us  their  entire  appro- 
bation. It  is  a  cfreat  consolation  for  us  to  wit- 
ness  this  affection  of  the  people.  I  say  no- 
thing of  your  Fathers  ;  they  assisted  us  to  the 
full  extent  of  their  power,  sending  us  the  nwi- 
terials  of  clothinc:  destined  for  their  own  use. 
In  a  word,  they  fully  proved  to  us  that  they 
possess  nothing  in  this  world  for  themselves 
alone.  This  charitable  feeling  was  evinced  to- 
wards us  even  by  the  poor  ;  one  brought  us  a 
napkin,  the  other  a  chemise,  or  a  mantle,  one 
a  hen,  the  other  a  few  eggs,  and  all  with 
words  of  commiseration  so  very  kind  that  our 
feelings  were  deeply  moved.     You  are  aware 


fir" 


iiiiiii 


'!'   :i 


124        LIFE   OF  MADAME   DK   LA  PELTRIE, 

of  the  poverty  of  this  country,  but  the  charity 
of  the  people  is  still  more  remarkable.  After 
three  weeks  spent  with  our  good  Mothers  of 
the  Hotel-Dieu,  we  were  conducted  to  a  little 
building  of  our  own,  erected  some  time  ago, 
at  a  few  yards'  distance  from  the  Convent,  by 
our  foundress,  and  we  are  now  lodging  there 
until  the  building  can  be  restored :  the  inconve- 
nience which  we  endure  in  this  habitation,  can 
only  be  compared  to  the  extent  of  our  priva- 
tions. But  this  is  not  what  grieves  me  most ; 
we  are  greatly  in  debt,  and  without  one  article 
of  furniture  for  the  new  building,  or  any  other 
clothing  but  that  which  now  covers  us,  or  any 
provisions  for  ourselves  or  our  poor  Indians." 


^     If 

:  ifrl 


if;!.;: 


ii 


iiiiii 


And  now,  young  ladies  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  nursed  in  the  lap  of  comfort  or  afflu- 
ence, will  you  not,  perhaps,  hesitate  to  give 


LIFE   OF   ilADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        125 


larity 
After 
ers  of 
little 
ago, 
It,  by 
there 
sonve- 


n,  can 


priva- 
most ; 
article 
other 
or  any 
iians." 

teenth 
'  afflu- 
o  give 


credit  to  the  touching  accounts  left  to  us  of 
the  misery  endured  by  these  patient  sufferers  ? 
Ah  !  no  ;  tradition,  our  old  Convent  tradition, 
is  there  to  confirm  them,  and  we  know  that 
Madame  de  la  Peltrie,  after  that  awful  fire  of 
the  30th  December,  1650,  humbled  herself, 
like  her  divine  Lord,  during  his  mortal  life, 
receiving  a  few  eggs  fi'om  one  poor  woman,  a 
pair  of  stockings  or  a  chemise  from  another, 
and  a  loaf  of  bread  from  a  third  !  Thus,  she 
and  her  nuns  suffered,  during  our  long  Cana- 
dian winter,  until  the  spring  vessels  brought 
th'3m,  at  the  end  of  May,  their  usual  supply  of 
provisions  and  money  from  France.     .     .     . 

To  increase  their  merit,  at  this  trying 
period,  the  Almighty  permitted  that  the 
youngest  and  most  delicate  member  of  the 
community,  should  be  reduced  to  the  last 
stage  of  consumption ;  yes,  one  of  the  severest 


n 


ir^- 


n 


II,   ■■■;, 


126        LIFE   OP   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE. 

trials  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  was  the  illness 
and  death  of  her  beloved  friend,  Rev.  Mother 
St.  Joseph  de  la  Troche.  In  allusion  to  this 
event,  our  annals  contain  the  following  pas- 
sage: "The  Monastery  having  been  burnt 
down,  the  beds  of  our  nuns  were  all  crowded 
into  one  little  room,  and  placed  one  above  the 
other,  like  berths  on  board  a  vessel  or  steamer ; 
and  the  dying  sister  was  placed  in  one  of  these. 
The  noise  of  the  Indian  girls  reciting  their 
lessons,  in  one  end  of  the  room,  and  the  little 
French  girls  in  the  other,  was  a  constant  an- 
noyance ;  besides  this,  the  nuns,  being  obliged 
to  cook  in  the  open  fire-place  of  the  same 
apartment,  it  was  constantly  filled  with  smoke. 
•The  recitation  of  the  divine  ofiice,  and  the 
singing  of  psalms,  being  on  the  lower  flat, 
every  sound  was  heard  above.  Then,  as  the 
fire  had  destroyed  their  shoes,  these  heroic 


iii:  :; 


LIFE   OP   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE.        127 


sisters  had  nothing  to  wear  but  wooden  san- 
dals, and  the  coarsest  kind  of  galoches,  as 
they  were  then  worn  by  the  poorest  peasantry 
in  France,  and  as  they  are  yet  worn  by  our 
'femmes  de  gros  travail,'  or  washerwomen, 
who  come  to  work  now  and  again  in  our 
'Lavoir.'  Yet,  in  the  midst  of  privations 
almost  incredible,  these  true  daughters  of  St. 
Angela  and  St.  Ursula,  were,  as  the  Vene- 
rable mother  observes,  in  her  own  beautiful 
language,  '  comblees  de  joie,'  replenished  with 
joy,  to  see  themselves  obliged  to  receive  alms 
from  the  poorest  of  the  poor  !*  We  cannot 
with  propriety  close  this  chapter,  without 
adding  a  few  words  concerning  this  first 
blessed  sister,  who  died  among  us.  Mo- 
ther St.  Joseph  was  the  first  Ursuline  who 
died  in  America.  Beloved  by  God  and  man, 
she  was  one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  the 


w 


ilPii 


'  1 


:      ! 


128        LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA   PELTRIE, 

order.  Gifted  with  all  those  graces  of  nature 
so  highly  valued  by  those  of  her  sex,  she  also 
might  have  enjoyed,  amid  her  high-born 
friends,  a  fortune  amounting  to  £12,006 
sterling!  Owing  to  this  last  circumstance, 
especially,  ^she  had  the  most  trying  assaults 
to  bear  before  she  could  tear  herself  away 
from  her  friends,  to  conceal  her  virtues,  her 
talents,  and  her  w^ell-known  worth,  within  the 
shade  of  our  austere-looking  cloister,  .  .  , 
During  her  whole  life,  her  fervor  was  angelic, 
and  she  died  in  the  odor  of  sanctit  '  at  the 
age  of  thirty-six!  What  a  touching  scene 
her  death-bed  offered.  While  all  around  were 
we^^ping,  she  smiled  on  them  like  an  angel, 
and  exclaimed :  '  How  happy  am  I  to  die  in 
so  poor  a  place,  deprived  of  all  the  comforts 
of  France !'  .  .  .  '  Que  je  suis  heureuse  de 
mourir  en  un  lieu  pauvre,  privee  de  toutes  les 
douceurs  de  la  France !'  " 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE. 


'29 


Such  was  the  person,  whom  Mme.  de  la 
Peltrie  had  to  part  with.  It  was  a  painful 
sacrifice,  but  the  spirit  of  true  humility  that 
reigned  in  her  heart,  controlling  all  its  ener- 
gies, rendered  easy  to  her,  the  practice  of 
every  virtue.  The  severest  trials  seemed  to 
lose  for  her  their  poignancy,  once  that  she 
had  raised  her  eyes  to  Heaven,  and  exclaimed 
in  the  sincerity  of  her  generous  feelings,  "  My 
God !  I  deserve  this  chastisement !" 

Contrary  to  the  wishes  of  all,  Madame  de  la 
Peltrie  took  to  herself,  as  if  by  right  of 
foundation,  the  last  place  in  the  chapel,  at 
communion,  at  table,  and  in  every  other  place 
where  the  community  assembled.  When 
spoken  of,  or  addressed  by  the  title  of 
Foundress,  she  was  often  observed  to  sigh 
deeply,^  and  exclaim :  "  My  God  I  I  am  no- 
thing but  a  poor  sinner  who  has  not  ceased 

12 


U 


Mil 


130        LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


M'..;.iiii 


offending  thee !"  Of  this  she  seemed  to  have 
a  strong,  positive  conviction,  though  lier  con- 
science was  extremely  pure,  and  her  life  alto- 
gether unblemished.  Her  gait  and  manners, 
though  naturally  dignified,  were  so  modest 
and  unassuming,  that  her  very  look  inspired 
the  rude  Indians  with  a  love  of  the  most 
amiable  of  virtues.  Madame  de  la  Peltrie 
never  spoke  but  to  humble  herself.  One 
New  Year's  day,  according  to  a  custom  ob- 
served among  the  Ursulines,  the  little  French 
and  Indian  girls  having  been  led  by  their 
teachers,  to  the  amiable  Foundress,  to  atk  her 
blessing,  she  raised  her  eyes  to  Heaven,  and 
then  looking  down  upon  them  all  in  tears,  she 
exclaimed  :  "  My  poor  children,  do  you  know 
to  whom  you  address  yourselves  ?  Ah !  you 
come  for  blessings  to  the  vilest  of  God's  crea- 
tures!"      


LIFE   OF    MADAME   VE  LA   PEI^TllIE.        131 


Renouncing  the  various  privileges,  and  ex- 
erajjtions  froui  rule,  usually  granted  by  ecclesi- 
astical authority,  to  the  foundress  of  an  institu- 
tion, she  con:V)rnied  in  all  things  to  the  rules  of 
the  convent,  her  food,  lodging,  occupations, 
hours  of  rising  and  retiring  to  rest,  visits  with- 
in, all  was  the  same  as  the  nuns.  So  tender 
was  her  piety  that  she  would  have  received 
holy  communion  each  day  of  her  life,  did  not 
her  humility  make  her  dread  becoming  singu- 
lar, but  to  atofie  for  this  privation,  she  used  to 
procure  for  the  community  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  masses  possible,  laying  aside  the  most 
urgent  occupations  to  go  and  hear  them,  and 
abruptly  quitting,  at  the  parlor,  persons  of  the 
highest  distinction,  as  soon  as  she  heard  the 
mass-bell  ring.  Her  deportment  towards  the 
nuns  of  this  community  was,  in  all  things, 
really  admirable ;  she  treated  them  as  if  they 


\r 


m 
I 


lilP 


l;S|I  "^1 


Vi    1 


'li: 


Mi 


•'s S  ' 


a    .i»* 


ll!!;i:ii 


|i;||i 


!l  li  .;il 


132        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

had  all  been  her  superiors,  and  this  defer- 
ence, so  honorable  to  both  parties,  appeared 
chiefly  at  recreation. 

Although  she  had  received  the  gift  of  con- 
stant prayer,  and  could  speak  divinely  of  the 
things  of  God,  to  persons  from  without,  who 
came  to  enjoy  her  edifying  conversation,  yet 
she  was  so  reserved  in  the  community,  so  far 
from  thinking  herself  worthy  of  notice,  that 
she  never  said  a  word  on  spiritual  matters,  un- 
less it  were  to  answer  some  direct  question 
proposed.  Being  one  day,  particularly  pressed 
to  make  known  some  of  her  feelings  towards 
God,  she  quickly  replied  with  the  simplicity  of 
a  child :  "  What  can  I  say,  but  that  I  am  con- 
stantly offending  his  divine  Majesty !"     .     .    . 


.CHAPTER  XI. 


AUSTERITY  AND  MORTIFICATION  OF  MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE, 
DISPLAYED  IN  EVERY  CIRCUMSTANCE  OF  HER  LIFE — 
HER  RAPID  PROGRESS  IN  PERFECTION — EARTHQUAKE 
AND  OTHER  TRIALS. 

To  furnish  our  young  readers  with  more 
satisfactory  references,  concerning  the  illustri- 
ous lady  whom  we  now  propose  to  their  imita- 
tion, we  shall  here  again  introduce  a  note  from 
the  writings  of  the  Venerable  Mother  who 
knew  so  well  how  to  appreciate  the  virtues  of 
her  noble  and  generous  friend.* 

"  Madame  de  la  Peltrie,  our  Foundress,  is 

*  "  Madame  notre  Fondatrice  court  a  grands  pas  dans 

la  voie  de  la  saintet^  je  suis  ravie  de  la  voir,  et  si  vous  la 

12* 


I 


^J»SM,|,, 


lil. 


•■■■li  i        K 


« 


if  i 


f\'{i 


m 


■  iii'ii, 


134        LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

making  rapid  progress  in  the  ways  of  holiness. 
I  am  delighted  to  see  her,  and  if  you  could  see 
her,  you  would  be  as  delighted  as  I  am.  We 
feel  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  holy  relic  you 
were  pleased  to  send  us.  This  dear  lady  would 
not  hear  to  the  proposal  you  made  of  giving  a 
part  of  it  to  the  parish  church,  as  you  said  no- 
thing to  her.  '  It  is  for  our  own  chapel,'  said 
she,  'the  parish  church  possesses  two  entire 
bodies  of  saints!'    When  I  heard  her  speak 

voyiez,  vous  seriez  ravi  comme  nous.  Nous  vous  sommes 
obligees  de  la  ste.  Rolique,  qu'il  vous  plCit  nous  envoyer. 
Nous  avons  re^u  ce  precieux  depot  avec  des  chants  d'al- 
legresse.  Cetto  chere  Dame  n'a  pas  voulu  entendre  la 
proposition  que  vous  me  faites  d'en  donner  il  la  Paroisse, 
comme  vous  ne  lui  en  dites  rien.  C'est  pour  notre  Eglise, 
dit-elle,  la  Paroisse  a  deux  corps  de  saints  entiers.     Quand 

je  I'entendis  parler  de  la  sorte,  je  gardai  le  silence 

Et,  pour  vous  parler  ingenument  j'ai  ete  consolee  de  sa 
resolution." 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DB   LA  PELTRIE.        135 


thus,  I  remained  silent And  I  frankly 

own  to  you  that  her  decision  was  a  great  con- 
Bolation  to  me." 

The  spirit  of  mortification  both  interior  and 
exterior,  was  also  very  remarkable  in  the  life 
of  Madame  de  la  Peltrie,  and  a  person  of  much 
stronger  constitution  could  scarcely  have  en- 
dured the  rigors  which  she  exercised  on  her 
delicate  body.  During  the  time  of  illness, 
especially,  she  was  inexorable,  refusing  herself 
all  comfort  and  relief.  Each  day  of  her  life 
in  Canada,  afforded  her  new  opportunities  of 
suffering,  but  her  u'ials  were,  as  we  have  al- 
ready seen,  more  severe,  at  some  periods  than 
at  others,  owing  to  the  unsettled  state  of  the 
country,  and  various  other  local  causes. 
Among  these,  the  earthquakes  and  the  Indian 
wars  hold  the  most  conspicuous  place,  on  ac- 
count of  the  terror  and  distress  which  accom- 


i 


IM 


m 


136        LIFE   OF   MADAAIE   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


jfi^ 


I'll?  >* 


( 


;  I- 


r; 


.(  I' 


panied  them.  The  earthquake,  which  spread 
the  greatest  desolation  throughout  the  colony, 
was  felt  at  Quebec  for  the  first  time  on  the 
5th  of  February,  1663.  The  Venerable  Mo- 
ther gives  a  full  and  detailed  account  of  it, 
and  from  her  writings,  we  extract  the  follow- 
ing description.  The  first  alarm  of  this  ter- 
rific event,  was  caused  by  a  low,  rumbling, 
penetrating  noise,  like  that  of  carriages  rolling 
over  the  pavement :  then  the  terrified  people 
saw  the  houses  waving  backward  and  forward, 
like  tempest-tossed  barks  upon  a  rough  sea. 
After  this  the  bells  began  to  ring,  the  clocks 
to  strike,  and  an  awful  noise  was  heard  on  the 
roofs  of  the  houses,  similar  to  that  which  is 
caused  by  hailstones  during  a  hurricane. 
Then  the  extreme  agitation  of  the  buildings 
made  the  partitions  split  and  the  walls  crack, 
while    the   furniture    rolled    about  in   every 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE.        137 

direction.  The  first  impression  produced  by 
this  extraordinary  disorder  in  nature,  was  truly 
fearful.  The  people,  in  danger  of  being  crush- 
ed to  death  at  each  repeated  shock,  pushed 
out  of  their  houses  as  if  they  had  been  on  fire, 
and  as  the  disorder  without  was  still  greater 
than  within,  they  fled  from  one  place  to 
another  in  the  most  extreme  terror.  The 
cattle,  and  wild  beasts  of  the  surrounding 
country,  as  well  as  the  *  domestic  animals  in 
the  city,  were  howling  in  the  most  pitiful 
manner,  and  as  these  shocks  were  frequently 
repeated,  that  whole  night  offered  a  scene  of 
inward  anguish  and  terror  unequalled  in  the 
annals  of  the  colony.  The  ground,  though 
covered  with  snow  and  ice  to  the  depth  of 
five  and  six  feet,  burst  open  in  a  great  many 
places ;  the  ice  being  thrown  up  into  the  air, — 
thick  clouds  of  smoke  and  sulphur  issued  from 


111 

k 


1.^8        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


Hi  :• 


m 


'I  I' 


ill . 


i    ; 


?  ■■; 


these  apertures.  The  earth  thus  continued  to 
quake  violently,  at  intervals,  during  that  whole 
night,  so  that,  between  the  hours  of  five  in  the 
evening  and  three  in  the  morning,  thirty-two 
shocks  had  been  felt  throughout  the  extent  of 
this  immense  country,  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  borders  of  the 

great  Lakes ! To  finish  this 

distressing  picture,  we  shall  here,  also  insert,  a 
few  lines  from  the  fragments  of  our  annals, 
written  from  memory  after  the  second  fire 
which  destroyed  this  house  on  the  20th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1686.  "  During  this  time  of  public  cala- 
mity,  we  took  our  rest  on  the  floor  of  the 
community ;  without  undressing,  we  lay  our- 
selves down  on  straw  beds  so  as  to  be  ready 
to  fly  more  quickly,  in  case  the  danger  should 
increase.  At  the  moment  of  the  first  shock, 
we  were  all  assembled  in  the  chapel,  reciting 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE.       139 


matins,  and  as  we  stood  there,  praying,  we 
were  all  frequently  thrown  to  the  ground.  At 
each  redoubled  shock  during  the  night,  we  all 
arose,  and  recited  aloud  the  fourth  penitential 
psalm,  Miserere.  .  .  .  Nor  did  we  spare  the 
fasts  and  other  exercises  of  penance  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  our  merciful  God. 

Thus  did  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  and  her  nuns 
devote  themselves,  like  victims,  for  the  sins  of 
the  people,  and  this  generosity  on  their  part 
■^as  felt  and  appreciated  by  all  ranks  of  the 
citizens.  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  in  particular,  re- 
tained nothing  for  herself,  and  even  when  at 
the  point  of  starvation,  she  could  not  take  a 
morsel  of  food,  without  dividing  it  with  the  ever 
famishing  Indians  around  her.  Writing  to  a 
friend  in  France,  the  Venerable  Mother  thus 
describes  the  distress  to  which  they  were  re- 
duced by  a  shipwreck.     "  We  have  again,  this 


:• 


iiiup^' 


1,1'; 


'"«' 


•'-  m 


'Ul 


iir 


ii^iiili 


140        LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

year,  suffered  considerably  by  the  loss  of  a  ves- 
sel, which  was  wrecked  almost  in  sight  of  port. 
All  our  flour  was  steeped  in  the  salt  water,  as 
well  as  our  other  provisions."     At  another  sea- 
son, she  thus  gently  alludes  to  the  scarcity  of 
provisions.    "  Would  you  believe  that  for  about 
fifty  persons,  as  we  are,  we  have  just  flour 
enough  to  bake  three  times,  and  we  have  no 
news  of  the  vessels  laden  with  provisions  for 
the  country !     Yet  I  cannot  help  rejoicing  in 
all  that  it  will  please  God's  infinite  goodness  to 
ordain !     May  He  be  eternally  praised  !  .  .  .  . 
Yv^hen  Monseigneur  de  Laval,  the  first  Bish- 
op of  Canada,  arrived,  in  1659,  such  was  the 
poverty  of  the  colony,  that  no  suitable  dwelling 
could  be  found  for  him.     He  therefore  lodged 
for  some  time  at  the  Jesuits'  College  (the  spa- 
cious building  fronting  the  French  Cathedral, 
transformed  into  barracks  after  the  conquest, 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE.        141 


and  yet  occupied  by  British  soldiers).  At  the 
end  of  some  months,  the  Bishop  was  invited  by 
the  nuns,  to  accept  a  ward  belonging  to  the 
poor  at  the  Hotel  Dieu  Convent.  There,  amid 
the  beloved  of  Christ,  the  noble  son  of  Mont- 
morency Laval  went  to  reside.  Seeing  him  in 
a  place  rather  unfavorable  to  his  health,  Mme. 
de  la  Pel  trie,  with  her  usual  generosity,  offered 
him  her  house,  then  used  as  the  convent  school, 
and  to  oblige  him  to  accept  it,  the  nuns  assem- 
bled the  children,  each  day  at  the  community, 
for  their  classes.  Bishop  de  Laval,  through 
respect  for  the  cloister  ground,  enclosed  this 
house  with  a  liglit  paling,  and  fixed  his  resi- 
dence there  for  the  space  of  two  years,  during 
which  time  he  celebrated  mass  almost  every 
day,  in  the  chapel,  which  was  contiguous  as  at 
present.    This  chapel  was  a  handsome  edifice, 

situated  precisely  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by 

13 


142        LIFE   OF  MADAME  BE  LA   PEI.TEIE. 


:  -I 


}  ■ 


li 


'.,     ■  ■      i 


iii 


the  antiquated,  though  venerable  old  door  and 
parlors.  The  corner-stone  of  this  building, 
had  been  laid  by  the  Governor-General,  Mr.  de 
Lauzon,  on  the  19th  of  May,  1656.  Various 
losses  at  that  time,  prevented  the  nuns  from 
completing  it,  by  adding  the  chapel  of  St. 
Anne,  as  had  been  designed.  However,  on  the 
29th  of  April,  1667,  the  first  stone  of  this  ele- 
gant addition  was  laid  by  the  Governor-General 
in  presence  of  Mn\e.  de  la  Peltrie.  The  Mar- 
quis de  Tracy,  who  was  her  particular  friend, 
insisted  on  defraying  all  the  expenses  himself. 
Another  trial  which  greatly  increased  the 
sufferings  of  all,  was  the  frequent  recurrence  of 
the  most  fearful  epidemics,  which  made  awful 
havoc  among  the  Indians  and  ever  found  their 
way  into  the  convent  by  them.  The  intense 
cold  of  this  climate,  also  rendered  their  lives 
one  uninterrupted  scene  of  severe  suffering  and 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        143 


calm  endurance.  What  must  then  have  been 
the  feelings  of  this  generous  lady,  who  had,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  tenderness  of  a  mother's 
heart,  both  for  the  nuns  and  the  children,  when 
despite  of  all  the  sacrifices  w^iich  she  had  made, 
she  saw  them  exposed  to  the  most  bitter  cold, 
during  the  long  winter  months.  The  use  of 
stoves  not  being  then  known  in  Canada,  they 
had  to  crowd  around  the  open  fire-places  with- 
out grates,  to  warm  themselves  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  and  were  reduced  to  take  their  rest 
at  night,  in  a  kind  of  wooden  form  or  chests, 
lined  with  some  woollen  material.  The  poor 
little  Indians  used  to  wrap  themselves  up  in 
skins ;  but  to  make  our  young  readers  more 
plainly  understand  the  state  of  the  whole  co- 
lony, as  w^ell  as  the  convent  in  those  days,  we 
shall  here  introduce  a  few  lines  from  the  Vene- 
rable  Mother's   writings.      "  Our   building  is 


144        LIFE   OF    MADAME    1>E   LA    PELTRIE. 


in 


,     :; 


H 


?  ■■ 


t  t' 


I 

!i  Si 

three  stories  high,  the  second  flat  being  occu- 
pied by  our  cells.  The  chimney  which  heats 
the  dormitory  is  at  the  end,  yet  so  great  is  the 
cold,  that  we  cannot  stay  away  from  the  fire, 
even  for  an  hour.  Between  the  observances, 
(prayers,  meals,  <&c.),  the  place  to  read,  write, 
study,  or  Avork,  is,  of  all  necessity,  by  the  fire- 
place. Our  bedsteads  are  made  of  wood,  and 
shut  up  like  presses,  and  although  lined  with 
blankets,  we  can  scarcely  keep  ourselves  warm 
in  them.     In  our  four  chimneys  we  burn  175 

cords  of  hard  w^ood  !" Thus  for 

their  sufferings  in  winter ;  now  let  us  pass  in 
review  their  trials  during  one  short  summer. 
The  summer  of  1660  has  been  rendered  ever 
memorable  in  Canada,  by  the  irruptions  of  the 
Iroquois  Indians,  the  most  barbarous  and 
powerful  of  our  native  tribes  in  the  north. 
Having  sworn  to  exterminate  both  the  Hurons 


LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTUIE.        145 


and  the  P'rencli,  they  infest  the  borders 
of  our  beautiful  lakes  and  rivers,  the  whole 
length  and  extent  of  the  country,  from  Nia- 
gara to  Quebec.  Concealed  in  the  dark  re- 
cesses of  our  noble  forests,  these  faithless  infi- 
dels lay  in  ambush,  day  and  night,  for  whole 
months  together,  to  surprise  and  massacre  our 

unwary  travellers  ! But  in  1660, 

they  could  no  longer  assuage  their  savage 
tliirst  for  human  blood  by  so  slow  a  mode  of 
w^arfare,  and  all  these  barbarians  united  their 
forces  for  the  general  invasion  and  total  de- 
struction of  the  French  settlers,  as  well  as  the 
Huron  and  Algonquin  tribes,  who  w^ere  well- 
known  to  be  their  faithful  allies.  After  re- 
peated acts  of  the  most  awful  treachery,  they 
took  possession  of  all  the  advanced  posts, 
spreading  terror  and   desolation  to  the  very 

gates  of  our  little  fort,  St.  Louis,  in  Quebec. 

13* 


'1i 


146 


LIFE    OP   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIB. 


.» 


This  was  previous  to  the  heroic  sacrifice  of 
Daulac  and  his  brave  companions,  who,  devot- 
ing themselves  to  save  their  country,  went  in- 
trepidly to  attack  these  savage  hordes,  in  their 
stronghold  at  the  "  Long  sault.''  Resolved  like 
Spartans  of  old,  to  "  conquer  or  to  die,"  they 
also  fell  and  saved  their  country.  Owing  to 
the  state  of  extreme  excitement  which  pre- 
ceded this  event,  the  whole  population  being 
in  constant  alarm.  Bishop  de  Laval  thought  it 
prudent  for  the  nuns  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  as 
well  as  the  Ursulines,  to  go  every  night,  with 
their  pupils  to  the  Jesuits'  College. 

Accordingly  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie,  with  the 
children,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  community 
went  there,  while  the  Venerable  Mother,  with 
three  sisters,  remained  in  the  convent  with 
the  soldiers,  who  had  fortified  it  and  kept  con- 
stant watch,  in  case  of  an  attack.   This  terrible 


LIFE   OF  MADAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE.        147 

panic  lasted  a  whole  fortnight.    A  letter  of 
the  Venerable  Mother,  dated  June  25th,  in- 
forms  us  that,  to  defend  the  convent,  two  de- 
tachments of  guard •'  rad  been  placed  at  its 
extremities,  and  that  a  redoubt,  in  due  form, 
was  constructed  by  the  soldiers  to  protect  the 
barn  on  one  side,  and  the  church  on  the  other. 
"  All  our  windows  were  defended  by  walls 
breast-high   and  loop-holes;   there  were  also 
defences  made  on  our  porches."    These  per- 
rons, or  little  galleries,  were  situated  outside 
the  two  large  doors,  one  of  which  now  leads  to 
the  interior  yard,  the  other,  just  opposite  the 
ice-house,  leads  to  "  Notre  Dame  de  Grace," 
the  new  boarding-school,  built  in  1853. 

"  All  the  avenues  leading  through  the 
grounds  to  the  monastery,  were  barricaded, 
and  a  dozen  large  dogs  were  placed  out- 
side, and  the  guard  kept  by  them,  was,  with- 


/• 


i 


.i      i        'i' 


i   :i 


/ 


/ 


148        LIFE   OP   MADAME   DE   LA  PELTRIE. 

out  comparison,  much  better  than  that  of  the 
men,  to  keep  off  the  Indians,  because  they 
fear  the  French  dogs  as  much  as  our  men,  for 
these  animals  fly  at  them  when  they  can  catch 
them  and  tear  them  to  pieces."*  Thus  we  see 
the  convent  transformed  into  a  little  fort,  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1660,  with  two  detachments 
of  soldiers  and  their  officers  living  with  the 
Venerable  Mother,  as  also  their  women  and 

*  "  Toutes  nos  fenetres,"  says  she,  "  etaient  garnies  do 
poutreaux  et  de  murailles  a  moitie  avec  des  meurtrieres, 
Ton  a  aussi  fait  des  defenses  sur  nos  perrons.  Les  ave- 
nues des  cours  du  Monastere,  etaient  barricadees,  et  puis, 
una  douzaine  de  grands  chiens  gardaient  les  portes  do 
dehors,  et  dont  la  garde  valait  mieux,  sans  eom5)araison 
que  celle  des  hommes,  car  les  sauvages  craignent  autant 
les  chiens  fran^ais  que  les  hommes  eux-memes,  car  ces 
animaux  se  jettent  sur  eux  et  les  de'chirent  quand  ils  peu- 
vent  les  attraper." 


/ 


LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE  LA   PELTEIE.        149 


children,  whose  excitement  sometimes  greatly- 
annoyed  her.  Yet  she  bore  all  with  dauntless 
courage,  confiding  in  the  providence  of  God, 
whose  divine  care  she  sensibly  felt,  even  in 
that  instinct  of  watchfulness  and  fidelity  which 
she  ever  admired  in  her  noble  dogs,  who  were, 
it  seems,  as  formidable  to  the  Indians,  as  the 
fabled  Cerberus  was,  in  times  of  old,  to  all 

intruders  at  Pluto's  gate A  little 

further  on  she  gives,  in  the  same  letter,  details 
replete  with  interest.  "  I  obtained  leave  to 
stay  in  the  convent,  so  as  not  to  leave  it  en- 
tirely deserted.  Three  of  our  sisters  remained 
with  me,  but  I  must  own  to  you  that  I  was 
sensibly  affected,  when  I  saw  them  take  away 
from  us  the  most  Blessed  Sacrament.  Sister  St. 
Ursula  wept  bitterly,  and  was  inconsolable." 

On  the  8th  of  the  same  month,  a  false  alarm 
had  been  given,  in  allusion  to  which  our  vene- 


;   ';,'( 


::H 


150        LIFE  OP   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 

rable  writer  observes:  "In  less  than  half  an 
hour  each  one  was  ranged  at  his  post.  All 
the  doors  were  again  barricaded,  and  I  distri- 
buted among  our  soldiers  all  that  was  neces- 
sary. The  women  were  greatly  alarmed,  but 
as  to  myself,  I  assure  you,  I  felt  not  the  slight- 
est fear  either  interior  or  exterior 

And  yet  I  did  not  sleep  much  during  those 
days  of  alarm  :  my  ear  kept  watch  during  the 
night,  so  as  to  prevent  my  being  taken  by  sur- 
prise, and  also  to  be  ready,  in  case  of  sudden 
attack,  to  give  our  soldiers  all  they  needed." 
Happily  all  this  terror  and  excitement  was 
not  followed  by  the  events  which  were  so 
fearfully  threatening;  though  detached  par- 
ties of  these  cunning  and  cruel  Iroquois,  made 
frequent  descents  here  by  day  and  by  night, 
in  despite  of  the  consummate  vigilance  of 
the  colonists,  and  the  bravery  of  the  gallant 


iiil 


LIFE  OF    MADAME   DE  LA    PEIiTRIE. 


151 


French  soldiers.  Thus  these  savages  greatly 
annoyed  the  settlers,  as  we  see  by  what  hap- 
pened to  the  nuns  themselves.  Alluding  to 
the  farm  belonging  to  the  convent,  situated 
outside  of  St.  John's  Gate,  Mother  de  L'ln- 
carnation  says :  "  There  remained  in  that 
place  but  one  house,  where  our  laborers  used 

to  stay About  8  o'clock  at  night, 

the  Iroquois  spies  appeared  at  a  distance,  and 
called  our  young  man  who  had  care  of  the 
cattle.  We  suppose  that  they  wanted  to  carry 
him  off,  as  they  had  done  another  young  man 
a  few  days  before.  The  poor  boy  was  so  ter- 
rified that  he  ran  to  hide  himself  in  the  woods. 
Then,  after  a  little  reflection,  he  came  to  in- 
form us  of  what  had  happened.  ,-j Immediately 
all  our  domestics,  to  the  number  of  ten,  ran 
off  to  defend  the  house,  but  it  was  too  late ; 
they  found  it  on  fire,  and  the  cattle  gone." 


i  'i 


r:«'  mm 


-I 


152        LIFE   OF   MADAME    DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

The  next  day  these  ten  faithful  men,  who  had 
risked  their  lives  in  defence  of  our  property, 
were  found  at  a  great  distance  from  the  farm, 
all  tied  to  a  huge  stake  of  wood,  and  yet 
alive,  with  the  exception  of  one,  who  had  ex- 
pired from  the  effect  of  the  deep  wounds  and 
gashes  with  which  his  body  was  covered. 
Two  years  later,  we  see  the  nuns  and  their 
saintly  foundress,  suffering  from  a  still  severer 
trial,  the  death  of  the  Reverend  Wm.  Vignal, 
their  kind  and  good  friend,  who  had  served 
them  as  chaplain  during  the  sjxice  of  eleven 
years.  This  respected  clergyman  was  induced 
by  the  restless  and  intriguing  Abbe  de  Quelus 
to  leave  our  nuns,  in  1658,  and  join  the  Sulpi- 
tians  in  Montreal.  In  1662  he  was  massacred 
at  Pile  de  la  Pierre,  whither  he  went,  with  a 
small  party,  to  collect  materials  for  building. 
In  allusion  to  these  distressing  events  of  1660- 


s. 

ho  had 
operty, 
e  farm, 
nd  yet 
had  ex- 
ds  and 
Dvered. 
i  their 
severer 
Hgnal, 
served 
eleven 
iduced 
Quelus 
Sulpi- 
isacred 
with  a 
ilding. 
1660- 


LIFE  OF   MADAME   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 


153 


M\ 


1652,  our  Venerable  Mother  says  :  "  It  is  really 
an  admirable  thing  to  see  the  designs  of  God 
upon  this  country.  They  are  altogether  above 
human  conception.  At  the  very  time  that  we 
expected  to  be  all  exterminated,  those  who 
ventured  forth  to  oppose  the  Iroquois  were 
taken  themselves,  and  immolated  for  the  whole 
country."^- 

*  "  C'est  une  chose  admirable  de  voir  la  conduite  de 
Dieu  sur  ce  pays;  elle  est  tout-a-Dait  audessus  des  con- 
ceptions humaines.  Lorsque  nous  devions  etre  tons  de- 
truits,  ceux  qui  etaient  partis  pour  prendre  des  Iroquois, 
ont  ete  pris  eux-memes,  et  immoles  pour  tout  lo  pays." 


x 


14 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST  ILLNESS  OF  MME.  DE  LA  PELTRIE — CONSTERNATION 
AND  SORROW  WHICH  IT  PRODUCES  IN  QUEBEC — HER 
DEATH  AND   SOLEMN  FUNERAL, 


i 


Since  the  beginning  of  our  simple  narrative 
we  have  laid  before  our  young  readers, 
with  the  utmost  fidelity,  the  chief  interesting 
events  of  Madame  de  la  Peltrie's  life,  as  well 
as  a  few  of  the  trials  by  which  she  rendered 
her  j)ure  soul  so  agreeable  to  her  Creator. 
We  have  admired  her  virtues  in  the  house  of 


ERNATION 
JEC — HER 


arrative 
readers, 
eresting 
as  well 
endered 
Creator, 
house  of 


LIFE   OF   IMADAME   DE   LA   PELTKIE.        155 

lier  lather ;  amid  the  gay  scenes  of  life  in  the 
society  of  her  husband  ;  in  the  public  exercise 
of  good  works  during  her  widowhood  ;  in  the 
palace  of  kings,  in  the  Huron  hut,  and  in  the 
solitude  of  our  cloisters.  We  have  found  her 
ever  the  same  ;  and  of  all  that  is  admirable  in 
so  beautiful  a  life,  an  estimate  must  be  formed 
by  the  readers  themselves,  as  we  now  resume 
the  last  events  connected  with  the  illness  and 
death  of  that  illustrious  lady.  Our  amiable 
foundress,  having  now  spent  thirty-one  years 
of  her  life  in  Canada,  in  the  active  practice  of 
every  virtue,  her  angelic  soul  began  to  long 
more  ardently  than  ever,  for  that  eternal  en- 
joyment promised  to  those  who  forsake  all 
things  here  below  for  the  love  of  Jesus.  She 
liad  seen  this  institution,  so  dear  to  her  heart, 
rebuilt  after  the  fire,  more  spacious  than  be- 
fore, and  flourishing  to  the  entire  satisfaction 


!V 


156        LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


I 


of  the  Governor-General,  the  clergymen,  and 
the  whole  population Some  frag- 
ments of  letters,  written  to  the  Duchess  de 
Sennesay,  and  other  ladies  of  high  rank  in 
France,  plainly  attest  the  great  good  which 
was  effected  by  the  humble  labors  of  the  vir- 
tuous foundress  and  her  nuns. 

A  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Tours,  writ- 
ten a  few^  months  before  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie's 
death,  gives  the  following  details  :  "  As  to  our 
community,  it  is  composed  of  twenty-two 
nuns ;  the  seminary  is  filled  with  French  and 
Indian  girls."*  The  noble  task  of  this  virtuous 
lady  was,  therefore,  completed,  the  design  of 
her  mission  to  Canada  was  fully  accomplished  ; 
yet,   though  naturally   delicate,   her   healthy 

*  "  Pour  notre  communaute  elle  est  composee  de  vingt- 
deux  religieuses ;  le  seminaire  est  remplie  de  fiUes  fran- 
9aises  et  sauvages." 


LIFE   OF   MA.DAME  DE  LA   PELTRIE.         157 


appearance  seemed  to  promise,  for  many 
yeai*s,  the  preservation  of  a  life  so  precious, 
and  so  dear  to  all.  It,  however,  pleased 
the  Almighty  to  ordain  otherwise,  for  the 
greater  good  of  his  devoted  servant.  In  the 
year  1652  she  had  parted  with  the  youngest 
of  her  companions;  in  1667  she  had  lost  an- 
other dear  friend.  Miss  Philippa  do  Boulogne, 
sister  of  Madame  d'Aillehont,  better  known 
among  us  by  the  name  of  Mere  St.  Dominique. 
In  1669,  she  had  closed  tlie  eyes  of  another 
valued  sister,  the  first  devoted  person  who 
offered  her  services  to  our  nuns,  in  the  capa- 
city of  sister  servant.  Tliis  was  the  Sister  St. 
Lawrence  of  Dieppe,  and  one  sentence  will 
suffice  to  reveal  the  virtues  with  which  she 
was  endowed.  Her  father  being  a  silk-trader 
(marchand  de  sole),  and  all  her  friends  in  easy 
circumstances,  when  she  decided  upon  enter- 


14 


* 


:i 


158        LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE. 


?l'>i: 


ing  the  convent,  they  pressed  her  to  embrace 
the  state  of  ohoh'-sister,  or  teacher,  for  which 
her  natural  abilities  and  fortune  seemed  to 
qualifv  her.  To  all  their  solicitations  she  op- 
posed these  few  words :  *'  If  I  had  all  the 
crowns  of  the  universe  I  would  gladly  sacri- 
fice them  to  obtain  the  place  of  lay-sister  in  a 
house  of  Ursulines  !"....  It  was  now 
the  turn  of  our  beloved  foundress  to  depart, 
and  she  was  therefore  called  in  the  year  1671 
to  receive  tho  reward  of  her  unblemished  and 
meritorious  life.  Known  and  revered  through- 
out the  colony  for  the  sanctity  of  her  morals 
and  conversation,  her  liberality  in  forwarding 
every  kind  of  good  work,  and  relieving  every 
species  of  human  misery,  Madame  de  la  Pel- 
trie,  esteemed  and  honored  by  the  great  and 
good,  was  beloved  by  the  poor  and  humbk^ 
and  respected  by  alL 


i'l 


LIFE    OP    MADAME   DE   LA    PELTRIE.        159 

On  the  11th  of  Novemhor,  1671,  she  was 
seized  with  a  pleurisy,  which  terminated  lier 
life  on  the  seventh  day  of  her  ilhiess.  The 
few  eventful  days  that  elapsed  from  the  11th 
till  the  18th,  appeared  very  short  to  those 
who  dreaded  to  lose  her ;  but  that  interval 
sufficed  to  exemplify  in  her  death  all  the  he- 
roic and  lovely  virtues  which  we  admire  in  the 
chosen  servants  of  the  Lord.  Never  before 
had  she  appeared  more  humble,  more  patient, 
or  mortified.  Two  clauses,  which  we  here  ex- 
tract from  her  last  will  and  testament,  will 
suffice  to  exhibit  the  perfection  to  which  she 
had  attained  in  the  practice  of  these  virtues. 
After  the  ordinary  preamble,  we  read  as  fol- 
lows :*  "  Moreover,  the  said  Lady  de  la  Pel- 

*  "  Plus,  declare  la  dite  Dame  de  la  Peltrie,  que  son 
intention  est  que  son  corps  soit  pose  en  le  lieu  oh  les  reli- 
gieuses  du  Monastere  de  St.  Joseph  de  cette  ville  de  Que- 


1 

ll 

■  ''V 

f 

II' 

1 

^H^l  ' 

i 


''n 

If'* 


^     f    ^ 


160        LIFE   OF    MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

trie  decares  that  her  intention  is,  that  her 
body  shall  be  laid  in  the  same  grave  where 
the  nuns  of  this  Monastery  of  St.  Joseph,  of 
the  city  of  Quebec,  are  interred.  She  begs  of 
the  reverend  TJrsuline  Mothers  to  grant  her 
this  favor,  through  charity."  ....  How 
admirable  it  is  to  see  the  noble  foundress, 
begging  of  her  nuns  to  give  her  a  grave 
through  charity !  Her  submission  to  the  Su- 
perior and  attending  physicians,  during  her 
illness,  was  like  that  of  a  gentle  child.  Then, 
also,  her  piety  became  more  tender,  her  union 
with  God  more  expressive,  and  «her  resigna- 
tion to  his  divine  will  more  entire.  Then,  she 
was  seen  to  emulate  in  holy  poverty  the  an- 
chorites themselves  !  Desirous  of  rendering 
this   holy  virtue   more   perfect,  she   divested 

bee,  doivent  etre  enterrees.  Ello  demando  aux  reverendos 
Meres  Religieuses  Ursulines  cette  cliarite  par  aumosno." 


at  her 
where 
eph,  of 
3egs  of 
nt  her 
How 
ad  r  ess, 
grave 
he  Su- 
ig  her 
Then, 
•  union 
esigna- 
en,  she 
;he  an- 
dering 
vested 

/■erendes 
losne." 


::! 


LIFE    OP   MADAME   DE    LA   PELTRIE.        161 

herself  of  tlie  most  necessary  articles,  and  even 
begged  of  the  Venerable  Mother  to  take  away 
from  her  beside  various  little  refreshments  des- 
tined for  her  use.  On  the  seventh  day  of  her 
illness  Madame  de  la  Peltrie,  having  settled 
her  temporal  affairs,  gave  all  her  thoughts  to 
heaven,  and  received  the  last  sacraments  of 
the  church  ;  yet  seeing  her  large  family  of  nuns 
and  children  sobbing  and  weeping  around  her 
bed  of  death,  she  summoned  up  all  her  strength 
to  address  them  a  few  words  of  consolation : 
"  Tell  my  friends  in  France,"  said  she,  "  that 
I  die  happy  in  Canada.  Having  enjoyed  here, 
among  you,  the  hundredfold  promised  to  those 
who  forsake  all  things  for  God,  I  humbly  trust 
that  his  Divine  Majesty  will  now  give  me  eter- 
nal life,  of  which  this  is  the  pledge." 

Shortly   after,    while    deeply    engaged    in 
prayer  she  raised  her   eyes  towards  heaven, 


'h  t 


if 


If  Sri,! 


Hi 


)•;:;'■ 


« H       ♦  ^rf 


162        LIFE   OF   MADAAfE   DE  LA   PELTRIE. 

and  calmly  gave  up  her  pure  spirit  into  the 
hands  of  her  Creator,  on  the  evening  of  the 
18th  of  November,  1671.  We  may  easily 
form  an  idea  of  the  feelings  of  the  Venerable 
Mother  and  the  whole  community  on  this  oc- 
casion. They  wept  and  prayed,  they  blessed 
God,  and  recounted  to  all,  with  feelings  of 
unbounded  gratitude,  the  virtues  of  their  be- 
loved benefactress,  and  for  this  reason,  after  a 
lapse  of  two  centuries,  the  deeds  of  this  truly 
Christian  lady  are  enshrined  in  living  temples, 
each  member  of  her  community  having  re- 
ceived by  tradition,  as  well  as  by  written  do- 
cuments, the  most  minute  and  edifying  details 
of  her  life  and  death.  And  how,  indeed,  could 
she  be  forgotten,  the  tender  Mother,  who, 
after  sacrificing  a  large  fortune  to  raise  this  in- 
stitution and  secure  its  prosperity,  renounced 
every  comfort  and  satisfaction  to  dwell  with 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE    LA   TELTRIE.        163 


her  nuns  and  children  in  the  obscurity  of  the 
cloister,  there  practising  heroic  virtues,  unseen 
by  man,  but  known  and  appreciated  by  a  just 
and  generous  God. 

The  day  of  her  death  was,  therefore,  one  of 
mourning  for  all  but  herself,  and  it  may  be 
truly  said  that,  in  her,  these  words  of  Scrip- 
ture were  fully  realized :  "  They  shall  rest 
from  their  labors,  and  their  works  shall  follow 
them."  Ill  pursuance  of  her  last  will,  the 
body  of  Mme.  de  la  Peltrie  was  opened  after 
her  death  by  the  attending  physicians,  Mr.  de 
Bonamour,  Medecin  du  Roi,  and  J.  B.  Gosset, 
practitioner,  of  Quebec.  Her  heart  was  taken 
out,  and  put  into  a  small  wooden  case  without 
any  other  covering  but  quicklime  and  earth. 
This  was  enclosed  in  another  case  of  lead, 
which  we  see  at  the  present  day,  though  all 
within  is  reduced  to  dust,  and  thus  it  was  de- 


jir 


y     II, 


164        LIFE   OP   MADAlklE  DE   LA   PELTRIE. 

livered  to  the  Reverend  Fathers  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus,  "  as  a  proof  of  the  respect  and 
affection  she  always  had  for  their  holy  So- 
ciety ;  to  be  buried  under  the  steps  of  the 
altar,  where  reposes  the  most  holy  sacrament ; 
to  be  there  consumed  and  reduced  to  ashes  at 
the  foot  of  his  Divine  Majesty." 

She  was  not  buried  in  the  religious  habit,  in 
consequence  of  her  extreme  humility,  which 
made  her  declare,  that,  as  she  had  been  uii- 
Avorthy  to  wear  it  during  her  life,  she  did  not 
deserve  that  honor  after  death,  and  her  will 
was  again  respected  on  this  point.  According 
to  the  Ursuline  rules,  the  nuns  went  in  solemn 
procession  to  convey  the  body  of  their  de- 
ceased foundress  to  the  choir,  on  the  evening 
before  her  burial.  As  they  moved  in  slow 
and  solemn  order,  chanting  the  psalms  pre- 
ecribed,  and  bearing,  amid   lighted   torches. 


E. 


LIFE   OF   MADAME   DE   LA   PELTRIE.        165 


the  So- 
)ect  and 
loly  So- 
i  of  the 
rament ; 
aslies  at 

habit,  in 
^,  which 
)een  un- 
!  did  not 
her  will 
ceording 
1  solemn 
heir  de- 
evening 
in  slow 
1ms  pre- 
torches, 


the  body  of  their  beloved  foundress,  who  had 
dejDarted  from  among  them  with  such  evideni' 
marks  of  beatitude,  we  might  have  taken 
them  for  a  fervent  band  of  primitive  Christians. 
Yes,  even  for  those  blessed  ones  who  bore 
silently,  amid  the  shades  of  eve,  to  the  soli- 
tary catacombs,  the  mortal  remains  of  some 
generous  martyr,  who  had  nobly  struggled  in 
defence  of  our  holy  faith,  and  confounded  the 
Prince  of  Darkness  with  all  his  satellites. 

The  funeral  of  Madame  de  la  Peltrie  was 
honored  by  the  presence  of  the  Governor- 
General,  Mr.  de  Courcelle ;  the  Intendant  of 
Justice,  Finance,  and  Laws,  Mr.  Talon ;  and 
every  person  of  distinction  in  Quebec  and  the 
surrounding  country.  The  Indians,  also,  flock- 
ed in  great  numbers,  rending  the  air  with 
their  lamentations,  as  well  as  the  poor  French 

people,  who  looked  upon  her  a^s  a  ministering 

15 


I  ^ 


160        LIFE   OF   MADAME  DE   LA   PELTRIE. 


angel  sent  by  Heaven  to  Canada  to  be  their 
comfort  and  support,  and  it  may  well  be  said 
that  the  tears  shed  upon  that  day,  within  and 
without  the  cloister,  were  the  o"reatest  eulo- 
gium  of  her  virtues.  After  the  solemn  service, 
Mr.  de  Berni^res,  Vicar-General,  and  nephew 
of  her  valued  friend,  entered  the  nuns'  chapel, 
with  the  rest  of  the  clergy,  to  perform  tlie 
rites  of  burial.  These  being  concluded,  they 
took  the  case  containing  the  heart  of  Madame 
de  la  Peltrie,  to  carry  it  to  the  church  of  the 
Jesuit  Fathers.  Veiled  with  black  crape,  it 
was  borne  beneath  a  canopy  by  one  of  the 
principal  citizens  of  Quebec  ;  preceded  by  the 
clergy,  and  followed  by  the  Governor-General, 
Mr.  de  Courcelles,  and  suite,  this  solemn  fune- 
ral proceeded  to  the  Jesuits'  College.  As 
soon  as  the  procession  had  reached  the  chapel 
•door,  the  valued  gift  was  received  by  the  Re- 


G. 


LIFE    OF    MADAME   DE   LA    TELTKIE.         167 


)e  their 

be  8aid 

ihin  and 

st  eulo- 

service, 

nephew 

chapel, 

3rm  tlie 

ed, they 

Madame 

li  of  the 

crape,  it 

e  of  the 

d  by  the 

General, 

mn  fune- 

ige.     As 

le  chapel 

'  the  Re- 


verend Father  Superior,  and  immediately  de- 
posited in  the  vault,  which  had  been  prepared 
for  its  reception,  beneath  the  steps  of  the 
grand  altar,  where  it  rested  in  peace  for  many 

years Then,  eventful  days  came 

on,  and  changed  the  face  of  all  things  in  the 

colony At  the  beginning  of  the 

present  century,  the  Jesuits'  church  having 
been  burnt  down,  the  British  authorities  com- 
pletely demolished  these  interesting  ruins,  but 
the  Ursuline  nuns,  desirous  to  secure  the  heart 
of  their  beloved  foundress,  caused  an  excava- 
tion to  be  made,  and  the  precious  deposit  hav- 
ing been  found  in  the  precise  place  marked  in 
our  registers,  it  was  brought  back  to  the  Con- 
vent, and  laid  in  the  same  tomb  which  con- 
tained the  other  remains,  as  well  as  those  of 
the  saintly  Mother  St.  Joseph  and  the  Vene- 
rable ]Mother  de  L'Incarnation. 


■i 

B      '  ^1 

Ml' 

1        '  '  ''fl 

it  lis'! 

1  '1 

1  p 

■'Ml 

DUNIGAN  &  SROTHER'S 

NEW,   CHEAP,    SUPERBLY  ILLUSTRATED,    AND    UN- 
ABRIDGED EDITION  OF 

Ilaydock's  Catholic  Family  Bible  and  Coiiimciilary. 

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'gently  compared  witJi  the  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  other  Editions  in 
various  hinguages.  The  OiJO  Tkstament,  first  publislied  by  the 
English  College  at  Douay,  a.b.  ICOl);  and  the  Nkw  Tf.stamknt, 
lirst  published  by  the  English  College  at  Rheims,  a.d.  15S'2,  with 
useful  Notes,  Critical,  Historical,  Controversial,  and  Explanatory, 
from  the  most  eminent  Commentators,  and  able  and  judicious 
critics. 

BY  THE  REV.  GEO.  LEO  IIAYDOCK,  D.D. 


Splendidly  embellished  by  eminent  Artists,  after  the  great  IMasters. 
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Catholic  Hierarchy  in  England  and  Ireland.  It  is  published  under 
the  approbation  of  the  Most  Rkv.  John  Hugiiks,  D.I)..  Arch- 
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(( 

(( 

u 

(( 

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(I 

(I 

«i 

(( 

(( 

u 

(4 

it 

» 

(( 

u 

Eoan 

t( 

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4  50 

8  50 

8  38 

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•:    1 


kI 


11 


TIIK  MISSION   BOOK.     A  Manual   of  Instruction  and 
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k( 

it 

Ik 

i( 

u 

44 

(( 

(( 

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0  ly 

,'n's  veal 

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tl 

II 

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THE  SERAPTTIC  MANUAL.  A  selection  of  Devotions 
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American    " 

It 
II 

(I 


II 
II 

II 

Roan 


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CHILD'S  CATHOLIC  PIETY.     384  pages.     48mo. 


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CATHOLIC'S  POCKET  COMPANION.     254  pages. 

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\r 


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l( 

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M 

(. 

(( 

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11 


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istnitions 

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EXERCISE  OF  THE  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.  As  it 
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HISTORY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  MISSIONS  among  the 
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THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
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.i^.^u^--,  .Tin  ■  TT'Tit-TB'iaiiMiiTimi 


